BJP veteran Kalyan Singh has been a Hindutva icon but some Muslims in and around his native village in Aligarh district remember the veteran BJP leader for his other qualities. He was involved in Babri Masjid was demolishment and after which the turn of events led him to leave Uttar Pradesh CM.
The two-time Uttar Pradesh chief minister died in Lucknow on Saturday evening. He was suffering from a prolonged illness and will be cremated at Rajghat in Narora near here on Monday with full state honor. Babuji enjoyed deep love and respect from Muslims too here, said Haider Ali Asad, referring to Singh as Babuji’ as what the veteran leader was known. Asad, who belongs to a prominent family of Pindrawal near neighboring Atrauli, also recalled an incident involving Singh’s prompt help and assurance to Muslims. Asad, also a long-time associate of Singh and a key activist of his short-lived political outfit formed in 2000 said 'the then chief minister also called the local police officials immediately and warned them that they would be personally held accountable if any harm was done to the Muslim families' “There are several Muslim families who stay in the neighborhood of Singh’s bungalow in the Civil Lines area in Aligarh," Asad said.
"Babu Ji always made it a point to have cordial relations with all these families," he added. Similar sentiments were expressed by Javed Sayed, a prominent Aligarh-based businessman, and grandson of the erstwhile Nawab of Charri. Singh who was elected to the Uttar Pradesh legislative assembly nine times since 1967, is credited with pitchforking the saffron party in the crucial state.
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