Mulayam Singh Yadav was icon of socialist movement, respected by everybody: Manmohan Singh

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday condoled Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's demise, and said he was an icon of the socialist movement who devoted his whole life to the service of the poor and other backward communities. In a letter to Yadav's son Akhilesh expressing condolences, Singh said the SP patriarch was a leader of high esteem who was respected by everybody irrespective of party lines.

"He (Yadav) was an icon of the socialist movement and had been elected to the Uttar Pradesh State Assembly and to the Lok Sabha several times," Singh said.

Yadav served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and also Union Minister many times, he noted.


"He (Yadav) was a great Parliamentarian and a distinguished administrator who devoted his whole life to the service of the poor and other backward communities," Singh said.

"My wife joins me to convey to you and other members of your family our deepest condolences on this sad occasion. May God give all of you the strength to bear this great loss with courage and fortitude," the former prime minister said in his letter.

The Samajwadi Party supremo and three-time Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, died on Monday after prolonged illness. He was 82.

The former defence minister was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram on October 2.