Reverberating With ‘Netaji Amar Rahein’ Chants, Mulayam’s Mortal Remains Consigned To Flames

Lucknow: With the chants of ‘Netaji Amar Rahe’ Uttar Pradesh’s Saifai on Monday afternoon witnessed a sea of grieving followers bidding adieu to the veteran socialist leader Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The mortal remains of the Samajwadi patriarch were consigned to flames in his native village and the last rites were performed by present party president Akhilesh Yadav, who lit the pyre in an emotionally surcharged atmosphere.

The former Chief Minister’s brother Shivpal Yadav and other family members onboard a truck decorated with garlands and flowers were followed by a huge crowd of people slowly marching along.

Almost every SP leader, worker, legislator, and member from all corners of the state was seen in Saifai to offer tributes to the late leader.

Several Uttar Pradesh ministers, including deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Maurya and Brajesh Pathak, Suresh Khanna, Jitin Prasad were seen offering floral tributes to the late leader.

The Yadav clan stood together in their hour of grief. Akhilesh, Shivpal, and Dharmendra Yadav broke down several times and were seen consoling each other.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, NCP leaders Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel, and Supriya Sule, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Kamal Nath, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Bihar deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav, Union Minister S.P. Singh Baghel, Congress MPs Mallikarjun Kharge, Pramod Tiwari were among those present.

Reliance chairman Anil Ambani, a close friend of the Yadav clan, was present.

SP MP Jaya Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan were also present.

Earlier in the day, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu arrived in Saifai and termed the loss as ‘irreparable’.