Leaders pay tributes to Mulayam Singh Yadav, call it end of era

PRAYAGRAJ: Former minister and MP Kunwar Reoti Raman Singh condoled the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav and said he and the Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch shared a close and personal relationship.
Yadav (82) breathed his last at a Gurugram hospital on Monday after a prolonged illness. “He often used to call me and was worried about my feet as he was like my elder brother. His passing away is very sad and a personal loss,” said Singh adding that he prays to God to give peace to the departed soul and strength to his family, especially Akhilesh Yadav, to bear the loss.
Former minister under Samajwadi Party (SP) regime in the state, Ujjwal Raman Singh too expressed grief and said: “Netaji was the one who brought me into politics and it was his blessing following which I was made a minister in Akhilesh-led UP government.” Former state spokesperson of SP Vinay Kushwaha called Mulayam a ‘messiah of backwards’ and said with his death an era has come to an end.
Former district president of SP Yogesh Chandra Yadav said a condolence meeting was held in the district office of SP in Prayagraj.
“The party flag would remain lowered for the next three days during state mourning,” he said.
Yogesh Chandra said: “The absence of Netaji was an irreparable loss not only to Uttar Pradesh but also to Indian politics. Netaji had formed the party on the basis of struggles so that the poor, downtrodden, exploited, backward and minorities could get back their rights.”
Leaders of Congress party too held a condolence meeting during which UP Congress state general secretary Mukund Tiwari said an era of socialist movement came to an end with the demise of Netaji.
“A generation of politics has ended which cannot be compensated,” he said.
Congress district spokesperson Haseeb Ahmed said Mulayam Singh had an important place in the politics of North India. He was one of the strongest voices for the ideology of Ram Manohar Lohia.
He courageously stood with the farmers, labourers and gave a leadership in which the people believed.
Student leader Ajay Yadav ‘Samrat’ said: “I am inspired by the struggles of Netaji. Just by remembering his struggle, a sense of power is transmitted in the minds of all youths like me who belong to families of farmers, labourers etc. For nurturing a dream of achieving a high position in the field of politics and public service, Netaji was a role model,” he said.