Recalling Mulayam Singh Yadav’s remark, PM Modi said: “kitna bada dil hai.”
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while campaigning in Gujarat today shared memories of veteran Uttar Pradesh politician Mulayam Singh Yadav, who passed away at the age of 82 this morning.
Describing his death as a “huge loss” to the country, PM Modi said he shared a very special bond with Mulayam Singh, who was on the opposite side of the spectrum for most of his long political career.
The Prime Minister and Mulayam Singh were the Chief Minister at the same time for some years.
Addressing a big rally in Bharuch ahead of the Gujarat elections later this year, PM Modi said, “When we were both chief ministers, we felt a lot of affinity for each other.”
He said that when he was nominated as a potential prime minister by the BJP in 2013, he called and spoke with several opposition leaders “to seek his blessings” and the Samajwadi Party founder was among them.
“I remember Mulayam Singh’s words of blessings and advice, which are special to me,” the PM said.
He also recalled the words of the former Union Minister in Parliament in 2019 in which he wished PM Modi to return to power.
When he stunned the opposition ranks, Mulayam Singh said in the last session of the last Lok Sabha before the general election: “I want to congratulate the PM as he tried to move forward by taking everyone along. I hope everyone Members will win and come back, and you (PM Modi) become prime minister again.”
Recalling the remark, PM Modi said: “Kitna bada dil hai.”
“From the soil of Gujarat, I offer my heartfelt tributes to him,” he said.
When Akhilesh Yadav shared this news, PM Modi was among the first to post his condolences on Twitter.
He tweeted, “Mulayam Singh Yadav ji distinguished himself in UP and national politics. He was a prominent soldier for democracy during the Emergency. As Defense Minister, he worked for a stronger India. His parliamentary interventions were practical and emphasized on furthering the national interest.” , described him as a remarkable personality.
The three-time UP chief minister passed away after days in the ICU. His condition was critical at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram and he was on life saving drugs.