President Murmu condoles Mulayam Singh Yadav's death, says ‘irreparable loss’ to country

President Droupadi Murmu expressed condolences on the demise of veteran politician and Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday, saying his death is an "irreparable loss" to the country.

"The death of Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is an irreparable loss to the country. The achievements of Mulayam Singh Yadav ji, who came from an ordinary environment, were extraordinary. 'Dharti Putra' Mulayam ji was a down-to-earth veteran leader. He was respected by people of all parties. My deepest condolences to his family members and supporters!" the Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.

Mulayam Singh passed away at the age of 82 at Gurugram's Medanta Hospital due to age-related ailments. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital last Sunday after his health deteriorated. He is survived by two sons, Akhilesh and Prateek.

Mulayam Singh Yadav had seen Uttar Pradesh go through many ups and downs during his five-decade-long career and remained almost synonymous with the politics of the state. Fondly called "Netaji", he was well-versed in the politics of the most populous state of India.

Born on November 22, 1939, in Saifai village of Etawah district, Mulayam Singh rose quickly in politics and became the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh thrice; he also served in the Union Government once as the Defence Minister.

He was elected 10 times as MLA and 7 times as Lok Sabha MP. His career began when he was elected MLA in 1967 at the age of 28. He founded the Samajwadi Party on October 4, 1992, and soon turned it into a regional party based in Uttar Pradesh. His son Akhilesh Yadav took over the reins of the party later and is now its president.