Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh was a valuable personality and a capable leader who became a “symbol of trust” for the common people.
PM Modi was speaking to reporters after paying his last respects to the veteran BJP leader at his residence here.
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Singh died at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow on Saturday night. He was 89.
"The country has lost a valuable personality and a capable leader. To fulfill the void left by him, we should do maximum hard work for his ideals, his promises and leave no effort in achieving his dreams," the PM said.
The prime minister said Singh lived true to his name given to him by his parents.
“He lived his entire life for public welfare. He made 'jan kalyan' as the mantra of his life, and dedicated his life for the BJP, Bharatiya Jana Sangh family, for an ideology and for the bright future of the country," he said.
He hailed Singh as a committed decision maker who symbolised “trust” across the country.
“For the most part of his life, he made efforts for public welfare. Whatever responsibility he had got, be it as an MLA, any post in the government, or as a governor, he had been a centre of inspiration for everyone. He became a symbol of trust for the public," the PM added.