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Emulating Netaji would be best tribute to him: Akhilesh
SP national president lLays foundation of Mulayam Singh Yadav Memorial in Saifai on 85th birth anniversary of party founder
Kanpur: The Samajwadi Party held a grand celebration on the 85th birth anniversary of party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav in the ancestral village Saifai in Etawah on Wednesday.
Party president Akhilesh Yadav laid the foundation of the Mulayam Singh Yadav Memorial in Saifai. He also performed a ‘havan’ with his uncles Shivpal Yadav and Prof Ram Gopal Yadav. His wife Dimple Yadav also paid rich tributes to her father-in-law.
Speaking on the occasion, an emotional Akhilesh said, “Netaji was not referred to by his name but as Dharti Putra. He struggled all his life to become the son of the soil.”
He said Saifai was MSY’s dream and he never took his eyes off it. “We are fortunate to have an opportunity to build a memorial in the land from which Netaji emerged,” he said, adding that walking down on the path shown by him would be the best tribute to him .
Party general secretary Shivpal Yadav said no one spent more time with Mulayam Singh Yadav him than him. “He was not only my elder brother but also a teacher and a mentor, I always received paternal affection from him,” he said. “Netaji always spoke about the poor and used to say one must never disappoint them.”
He said Netaji instilled the spirit of fighting injustice in everyone. All wished that he become Prime Minister and he could have. However, the essence of sacrifice always lingered in his mind.
“He consistently worked for the people and that is why when it comes to health care, education or roads no other government accomplished as much as Netaji or Akhilesh Yadav governments did,” he said.
Asserting that he saw the shadow of Netaji in Akhilesh Yadav, he said everyone would need to come together not only to fulfil the dreams of the departed leader but effectively fight the BJP’s falsehoods.
Former MP Dharmendra Yadav said the dream of Netaji would be fulfilled through Akhilesh Yadav. “It is a dream of all of us that the influence and potential of Akhilesh grows four times more than that of Netaji.”
The memorial would be built in an area of 8.3 acres and would cost around ₹80 crore. It would have a park in 4.5 acres and a museum which would house personal belongings of the socialist leader. The project would be executed by the trust that has been formed. A Lucknow -based company has been entrusted with the responsibility to build the memorial. According to party leaders, the memorial would be based on the model of the Abraham Lincoln Museum in United States and a part of it would be influenced by the architecture of King Aśhoka’s period.
