Ex-UP CM Kalyan Singh passes away after prolonged illness

Lucknow, Aug 21 (IANS) Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh (89) passed away here on Saturday due to sepsis and multi-organ failure.

Singh was admitted to the ICU of Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) on July 4 in a critical condition.

On Saturday, his condition worsened due to kidney infection. He breathed his last at 9.15 pm.

Singh's body has been brought to his Mall Avenue residence where Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his Cabinet colleagues paid tribuites to the departed soul.

Earleir, Adityanath had tweeted the news of the veteran leader's demise.

The state Cabinet is meeting later on Saturday night to mourn the death of Singh.

A three-day state mourning has been announced in Uttar Pradesh and a holiday will be observed on Monday as a mark of respect to the departed leader.

Deputy Chief Ministers Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Maurya have expressed their grief over the passing away of Singh, while senior leaders across the political spectrum have termed his demise as a loss to Indian politics.

Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad chief Mahant Narendra Giri said that Indian politics has lost one of its tallest leaders.