Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav passes away at 82

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Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav passed away on Monday. The 82-year-old veteran politician was admitted in the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, Haryana.

Akhilesh Yadav confirmed the news of the leader's death on Twitter. In a tweet he said, "My respected father and everyone's leader is no more."

Mulayam Singh Yadav had been under critical condition for the past few days.

In July this year, the SP patriarch's wife Sadhna Gupta passed away after undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Gurugram for a lung infection.

Born on November 22, 1939, the SP founder and three-time Uttar Pradesh chief minister was elected 10 times as MLA and seven times as Lok Sabha MP.

He has also served in the Union Government as the Minister of Defence. He was often referred to as Netaji by party leaders and workers.

President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed sadness over the death of the renowned leader.

Modi tweeted, "Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji was a remarkable personality. He was widely admired as a humble and grounded leader who was sensitive to people's problems. He served people diligently and devoted his life towards popularising the ideals of Loknayak JP and Dr. Lohia."

He added, "Mulayam Singh Yadav Ji distinguished himself in UP and national politics. He was a key soldier for democracy during the Emergency. As Defence Minister, he worked for a stronger India. His Parliamentary interventions were insightful and emphasised on furthering national interest."

Reactions and tributes continue to pour in following the death of Mulayam Singh Yadav.