Mulayam Singh Yadav ‘touched the lives of many in India and beyond’: Nepal PM Sher Bahadur Deuba

Kathmandu, October 11

Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday condoled the demise of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, hailing him as an eminent socialist leader who “touched the lives of many in India and beyond.” He had also served as the defence minister, passed away aged 82 after prolonged illness at a private hospital in Gurugram on Monday.

His mortal remains were brought to Saifai in Uttar Pradesh where he was given a funeral with full state honours.

“I express my deepest condolences on the passing away of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji, former CM of Uttar Pradesh and a veteran politician of India,” Deuba said in a tweet.

“As an eminent socialist leader, late Yadav touched the lives of many in India and beyond,” he added.

Yadav was defence minister from 1996 to 1998 in H D Deve Gowda’s United Front government, and became chief minister thrice, in 1989-91, 1993-95, and 2003-07.

For decades, he enjoyed the stature of a national leader but Uttar Pradesh largely remained the “akhara” where Yadav played out his politics, beginning as a teenager influenced by socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia.