Leaders across opposition parties condole Mulayam’s death

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Yadav “always stood by secular ideals and fought for social justice”. His Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin said Yadav was “one of the tallest figures in Indian politics who stood for reservation for the OBC”. Pointing out that Yadav was deeply committed to secular ideals, Stalin added “his death is an irreparable loss”.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said Yadav’s “passing is a major loss to our country and our polity”. Rahul Gandhi, who is taking part in his party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, attended a brief condolence meeting in memory of the Samajwadi Party veteran at his resting camp in Karnataka and observed a two-minute silence. Condoling Yadav’s death, Rahul said he was a “true warrior” of grassroots politics.

In a letter to Yadav’s son Akhilesh, former PM Manmohan Singh said: “He (Yadav) was a leader of high esteem who was respected by everybody irrespective of party lines. He was an icon of the socialist movement…He was a great parliamentarian and a distinguished administrator who devoted his whole life to the service of the poor and other backward communities.”

“I am deeply saddened by the passing away of my longtime colleague and friend Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav…He was deeply committed to the secular and socialist political traditions. Will miss him very much,” said former Prime Minister H D Devegowda.

In her message, Sonia said the SP patriarch’s contributions as the defence minister of the country and the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh will remain unforgettable. “More than that, his struggle for the oppressed and downtrodden will always be remembered,” she said. “Whenever there was a need to protect constitutional values, the Congress always got Yadav’s support,” Sonia added.

“Neta ji was a towering personality and his contribution to UP and the rest of the country will not be forgotten,” said National Conference leader Omar Abduallah.

“Yadav was one of the most respected and senior leaders of the country. He headed the Samajwadi Party with great commitment to the ideals of Ram Manohar Lohia. As chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, he tried to uplift the backward and poorer sections of society. His commitment for the rights of the oppressed and social justice was absolute,” said CPI general secretary D Raja.

The CPM referred to Singh’s role in the fight for social justice. “As a political leader and as chief minister, he made a big contribution to fighting the communal forces and defending secularism in the last three decades. Singh worked closely with the CPI(M) and the Left in forging a broad alliance of secular forces at critical junctures,” the CPM politburo said.

PDP chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said Yadav “always stood by the minorities and deprived communities. We should learn lessons from his life…He worked for the Hindu-Muslim brotherhood and stood against communal forces who have become powerful in the country”.