LUCKNOW: Kalyan Singh ji spent his life to live up to his name, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi who arrived in Lucknow on Sunday morning to pay respects and his last tributes to BJP stalwart, former Uttar Pradesh CM and ex-Governor of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, Kalyan Singh who passed away after a prolonged illness in the state capital on Saturday night.
“This a moment of great grief for all of us. Kalyan Singh ji was named Kalyan by his parents and he spent his life living up to his name. All his life he worked towards Jan Kalyan. He lived for Jan Kalyan and made it his mantra. He dedicated everything to the BJP, the Bharatiya Jan Sangh and towards a bright future of the country,” said the PM while speaking to media persons after paying tributes to the departed soul at the latter’s residence in Mall Avenue in Lucknow.
The PM, accompanied by BJP president JP Nadda, reached the state capital at 10.35 am and went straight to Singh’s residence, where his body had been brought from the hospital.
The PM added that Singh’s name had become synonymous with ‘trust’. He was a committed decision maker and had emerged as an inspiration to others in whatever role he was given, either of an MLA or in the government and also as a governor, the PM said.
PM Modi said that the nation had lost an able leader and only way to immortalise him and the genuine tribute to the departed leader was to work with his ideals and fulfil his dreams. “I pray to Lord Ram to give strength to his relatives and bereaved family to bear this loss,” said PM Modi.
Prominent among those who throng state capital on Sunday morning to pay respect to Kalyan Singh included RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosable, BSP chief Mayawati, Defence minister Rajnath Singh and several senior BJP leaders.
Singh’s body was taken to Vidhan Bhawan in the early afternoon from where it was shifted to the party headquarters for janata darshan. Later in the evening, the mortal remains of the departed soul were flown to Aligarh in an air ambulance for his final rights which are to be held along River Ganga on Monday.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to attend the cremation of the BJP stalwart on Monday. The state government has declared a three-day state mourning while August 23, the day of the funeral, has been declared a public holiday.