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Tough to fill vacuum created by Kalyan Singh’s demise: Amit Shah
Kalyan Singh was a big leader of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and always remained active in efforts to make UP the best state of the nation, says Shah
AGRA Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday paid tribute to former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh, terming the death of the BJP stalwart a “big loss” for the party. He said Kalyan Singh was a big leader of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and always remained active in efforts to make UP the best state of the nation.
“With the death of Kalyan Singhji, the BJP has lost a stalwart. It is a big loss for the party. The void created by his death is difficult to fill for a long time,” Shah told media.
The minister was at the PWD Guest House at Atrauli in Aligarh on Monday where the mortal remains of the former CM were kept to allow his supporters to pay last tributes. Shah paid tribute to the deceased and consoled his son Rajveer Singh, MP from Etah constituency.
“Despite not being in active politics for long, such a huge turnout, especially of youths during the last journey of Kalyan Singh indicates the huge impact Babuji had on Uttar Pradesh. He was a big leader of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and a champion of the cause of uplift of the deprived and backward,” stated Shah.
“Babuji didn’t think twice in giving up power and status of chief minister when it came to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement,” added Shah.
“I spoke to Babuji (Kalyan Singh) the day when the foundation for Ram temple at Ayodhya was laid. He was pleased and said that the aim of his life was fulfilled with this,” said Shah.
The home minister said working for the cause of the deprived and backward would be the real tribute to the departed leader who would always be an inspiration in this task.
The mortal remains of Kalyan Singh reached Aligarh on Sunday evening and were kept at Ahilya Bai Holkar Stadium in Aligarh city. Supporters for whom Kalyan Singh was ‘Babuji’ paid tributes to the leader.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and UP BJP president Swatantra Dev Singh accompanied the ‘yatra’ carrying the mortal remains of Kalyan Singh. The CM stayed in Aligarh after reaching the city on Sunday evening.
After leaving the BJP for a short period, Kalyan Singh had won the election as an independent candidate from Etah parliamentary constituency. Currently, his son Rajveer Singh ‘Raju’ is the BJP MP from Etah.
Kalyan Singh’s mortal remains were taken from the Ahilya Bai Holkar Stadium in Aligarh to the PWD guest house in Atrauli, about 20 kilometers from the city on Monday morning. The vehicle ferrying the mortal remains was decorated with flowers and garlands and was led by a fleet of cops. On the way, followers of Kalyan Singh raised slogans like ‘jab tak suraj chand rahega, Babuji ka naam rahega’.
The mortal remains were kept at the guest house in Atrauli till 1pm before being taken to Narora, a town in Bulandshahr district, where an enclosure was arranged for Kalyan Singh’s last rites. During this journey, locals from Madhauli, the paternal village of Kalyan Singh, came on the road to offer floral tributes.
Those who paid tributes to Kalyan Singh in Atrauli included UP governor Anandiben Patel, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, UP deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, BJP leader Jitin Prasada, ministers in state cabinet Surya Pratap Shahi, Suresh Rana and others.
