Kalyan Singh, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, died today in Lucknow as a result of sepsis and multi-organ failure. He was 89 years old.
Since July 4, the senior BJP leader has been receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) in Lucknow, the state capital. His condition deteriorated on Friday, and as a result, he was placed on dialysis for the next three days.
Last month, Prime Minister Modi issued a tweet in which he stated that “untold numbers of people all throughout India are praying for Kalyan Singh Ji’s quick recovery.”
Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, who paid a visit to Mr Singh in the hospital earlier today, also conveyed his condolences, describing Mr Singh’s death as a “irreparable loss.” He has set three days of official mourning and a holiday on August 23, when Mr Singh’s body will be cremated, in honour of the late prime minister.
In addition, former Chief Ministers Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati offered their condolences on Twitter on the news of his death.
From June 1991 to December 1992, Mr Singh served as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, and from September 1997 to November 1999, he served as Prime Minister of India. Between 2014 to 2019, he also served as Governor of the Indian state of Rajasthan.
His first tenure as Chief Minister is best noted for the demolition of the long-disputed Babri mosque in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992, which was the culmination of a long-running political dispute. A ripple effect was seen throughout the country, prompting many to consider this an important turning point in contemporary Indian socio-political history as well as the rise of his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mr Singh resigned from his position as Chief Minister immediately following the demolition, and the Uttar Pradesh administration was sacked by the then President, Shankar Dayal Sharma, on the same day as well. Mr Singh was charged with conspiracy in connection with the incident, along with other prominent BJP figures such as LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi.
