PM Modi pays last respects to Kalyan Singh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Lucknow on Sunday to pay tributes to former Chief Minister Kalyan Singh who passed away late on Saturday.

Lucknow:Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his last respects to former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh here on Sunday.

"We lost a capable leader. We need to put in best possible efforts, learning from his values and resolutions, to compensate for him. I pray to Lord Ram to give Kalyan Singh a place by him and give strength to his family to bear this pain," Modi said. "Kalyan Singh ji made Jan Kalyan his life mantra. He worked for the development of UP & the nation. He became synonymous with honesty and good administration," he said.

Soon after the news of Singh's death broke, Modi had expressed his grief and condolences on Twitter and hailed his "indelible contribution" towards the development of the state and the "cultural regeneration" of India.

Earlier on Sunday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath paid his last respects to BJP veteran and the former Chief Minister of the state Kalyan Singh at the latter's residence here in Lucknow.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Lucknow and offered tributes to late Kalyan Singh at the latter's residence. Singh arrived minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Delhi. "He has been a tough administrator and astute politician and an elder brother to me," Rajnath Singh said.

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Former chief minister and BSP chief Mayawati also paid her tributes at Singh's residence at Lucknow's Mall Avenue this morning. "Kalyan Singh Ji worked for the backward class. BSP condoles his demise," Mayawati told media personnel here

Singh, who was ailing for quite some time, died at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) on Saturday night. He was last admitted to the hospital on July 4 following the deterioration in his health condition.

Uttar Pradesh has announced a three-day mourning and a holiday on Monday, when the former chief minister's last rites will be performed. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in his condolence message said, "Three-day state mourning will be declared to condole the demise of Kalyan Singh. His last rites will be performed on the bank of Ganga in Narora on the evening of August 23. There will be a public holiday on August 23."

Singh is survived by his wife Ramvati Devi, son Rajveer Singh, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Etah, and grandson Sandeep Singh, who is the minister of state for finance, technical education, medical education in Uttar Pradesh.