Shock, grief & sad faces at SP headquarters as workers mourn the passing of ‘guardian’

LUCKNOW: At the Samajwadi Party national headquarters on Vikramaditya Marg in Lucknow, the mood was sombre as the party flag flew half-mast to mourn the demise of its tallest leader and founder Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Soon after the news of Netaji’s demise was announced, party workers started thronging the headquarters in Lucknow. But after a message from the high command about Netaji’s body being taken to Saifai in Etawah district, the workers started preparing to head to the first family’s native village for his funeral on Tuesday.
A condolence meeting was held at the party office, in which Mulayam’s close confidant and loyalist Rajendra Chaudhary along with state party president and MLC Naresh Uttam Patel paid tributes to the party patriarch.
“It is an irreparable loss for us. Netaji raised the Samajwadi ideology by his blood and sweat and fought for the people. We are with our national president Akhilesh Yadav and take pledge to devote ourselves to fulfilling the dreams of Netaji under the leadership of Akhilesh Yadav,” said Rajendra Chaudhary.
A teary-eyed Chaudhary further elaborated that he met Netaji in 1977 when he was an MLA while Mulayam was a minister.
We have struggled together since 1980 and even went to jail fighting for the principles which the SP stood for.
He always thought for the youth, women and downtrodden.
“It is not only a loss for the ideology of socialism but also for the entire country. We are very sad at our leader’s death. A second Mulayam Singh Yadav will not be born in the country,” said Naresh Uttam Patel.
The party workers raised slogans of ‘Long live Mulayam Singh Yadav’.
Amit Yadav, a member of Samajwadi Yuvjan Sabha, came to the party office from Kanpur and now plans to head to Saifai.
Former minister in the Akhilesh government, Arvind Singh Gope, said that it was great shock and sorrow for all the leaders and workers of the party. “Mulayam Singh Yadav was our guardian,” he said.
Party’s founding member Ambika Chaudhary also condoled MSY’s death. Senior SP leader and former MP Kunwar Reoti Raman Singh called it a “personal loss”.
Another member of the party Sudhir Panwar paid tributes to the leader adding that he fought for the rights of Dalits, downtrodden, and women. He also recollected the time he had worked with Mulayam Singh Yadav at the party office.