Sunday, 22 August 2021 | Biswajeet Banerjee | Lucknow
Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and one of the architects of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement Kalyan Singh breathed his last on Saturday evening. His dream to see the grand Ram temple at Ayodhya could not be fulfilled, for which he sacrificed his political career.
Kalyan died at the age of 89 at SGPGI Lucknow, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit on July 4.
A medical bulletin issued by hospital said he died of sepsis and multi-organ failure. Kalyan is survived by his son Rajveer, who is a BJP MP from Etah, and grandson Sandeep, who is a Minister in the Yogi Government
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his condolence message said that it was an irreparable loss to the county. He described him as one who spearheaded the Ram Temple campaign and the champion of empowerment of marginalised class. “Today, we are speechless. We lost one of the tallest leaders of Indian politics,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his condolence message said that Kalyan Singh gave voice to (the) crores of people belonging to the marginalised sections of society. He made efforts towards the empowerment of farmers, youngsters, and women.
Kalyan Singh’s body will be cremated on August 23. His body will be taken to the party office then will be placed in the stadium in Aligarh so that people could pay their floral tribute on August 22.
The UP Government has announced three-day condolence in the State. All the Government offices and educational institutions will remain closed on Monday as a mark of respect for Kalyan Singh.
The importance of Kalyan Singh, former Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh Governor, could be gauged from the fact that after he was admitted to hospital every senior BJP leader who visited the poll-bound State never missed a chance to go to hospital to inquire about his health. These included Union Home Minister Amit Shah and national BJP president JP Nadda.
Kalyan Singh had a love and hate relationship with the BJP and he had walked out of the saffron party twice. He even joined hands with his one-time bete noire Mulayam Singh Yadav. But he parted ways and came back to the BJP.
“Forget about some of my political decisions. But one thing is sure that my dead body will go to the cremation grounds wrapped in the BJP flag,” he told this reporter in a private conversation when he had met the former Chief Minister after he severed ties with Mulayam Singh and had not joined the BJP by then.
On Saturday night, his body was actually put on display for the party workers to pay their tribute, wrapped in the party flag.
Kalyan Singh was elected to UP Legislative Assembly for the first time in 1967. In June 1991, the BJP got the majority in the Assembly elections and Kalyan Singh became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time.
After the demolition of Babri Mosque on December 6 in 1992, Kalyan Singh resigned from the post of the Chief Minister, but again became the Chief Minister in 1997 and remained till 1999.
Due to differences with the BJP, Kalyan Singh left the party in 1999 and formed the Rashtriya Kranti Party. He returned in 2004 on the instance of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and in the 2004 general election he was elected to Parliament from Bulandshahr.
But in 2009 he left the BJP and contested the 2009 general elections as an independent candidate from Etah’s constancy. Later in 2009 he joined the Samajwadi Party but re-joined the BJP in 2013.
On September 4, 2014, Kalyan Singh was sworn in as the Governor of Rajasthan and from January 28, 2015, to August 12, 2015, he served as a the Governor of Himachal Pradesh also.
Before entering politics, he was a full-time volunteer for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
