Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh breathed his last on Saturday after being critical following a minor heart attack. He was 89 at the time of his death. He passed away following a multi organ failure.
Former Uttar Pradesh CM and former Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh passes away at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI) in Lucknow, due to sepsis and multi organ failure: SGPGI
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) August 21, 2021
(File photo) pic.twitter.com/lRCv1xHMe2
The 89-year-old politician, who had earlier served as Rajasthan governor, had developed an inflammation in the parotid gland and was also diagnosed with irregularities in his kidney function.
Kalyan Singh, one of the foremost icons of the Hindutva movement
Kalyan Singh has earned immense respect for his conduct during the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement. At no point in time has he expressed any regret over what happened on that fateful day. He did not open fire at the Kar Sevaks and he sacrificed his position as the Chief Minister for it. For that, he remains one of the icons of the Hindutva Movement.
Days leading to December 6, 1992, thousands of karsevaks, harbouring the dream of getting the Ram Janmabhoomi back flocked to Ayodhya and protested against the disputed structure that symbolised centuries of Muslim tyranny and oppression. On December 6, 1992, a raft of restive karsevaks stormed the premises of the disputed structure, scaled its heights and razed to ground the buildings that were claimed by Hindus as illegal construction over the hallowed Ram Janmabhoomi.
Singh was the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, under whose leadership, the controversial structure in Ayodhya was levelled to the ground. In the aftermath of the demolition, Singh’s government was sacked and President’s rule was imposed in Uttar Pradesh. Years later, in a freewheeling interview with an NDTV journalist, who’d rather have the karsevaks die to save the ‘secular’ fabric of the country, Singh said he had no regrets, repentance or contrition for what transpired in Ayodhya on that fateful day.
“I am not sorry for the demolition of the structure. Nor do I feel any contrition for it. No regrets, no repentance, no sorrow, no grief. Following the demolition of the controversial structure, many regard the event as a matter of national shame but I say that it is a matter of national pride,” Singh added.
Wish to see Ram Temple before death and take rebirth in the temple town once again: Kalyan Singh
More recently, Singh in his interview that took place last year, claimed that he was proud of his decision to not allow the police to open fire on karsevaks in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Singh added that it was the demolition of the disputed structure that paved the way for the Ram Temple bhoomi pujan scheduled on August 5, 2020. Singh further said that he wished to see Ram Mandir come up in Ayodhya before his death and take rebirth in the temple town once again.
