Former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh breathed his last on Saturday night. He headed the first-ever BJP government in UP in 1991. Mr Singh and was also the CM when the Babri mosque was demolished in Ayodhya.
Coming from an OBC background, Kalyan Singh was once a prominent face of the saffron party. He was often referred to as ‘babuji’ as Kalyan. Mr Singh was handpicked by RSS leader Bhaurao Deoras to head the UP unit. It was after the sudden demise of party’s first state chief Mr Tripath. So, countering the Mandal agitation.
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had also visited Kalyan Singh in the hospital earlier on Saturday. Expressing grief, Adityanath also tweeted about how courageous the leader was. He offfered his condolences, calling his death an irreparable loss. The UP government has also declared three days of state mourning and a holiday on August 23.
The former CM’s body will be cremated on Monday. Mr Singh had to resign as Chief Minister immediately following the demolition. While the then President Shankar Dayal Sharma also dismissed the UP government on the same day.
In 2020, a Lucknow court had acquitted Kalyan Singh and others in the case. Earlier, in an interview also, the former UP CM had denied any conspiracy.
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