THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Former Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday remembered Mulayam Singh Yadav, who held the same position before him, as a far-sighted politician and statesman.

The Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh passed away at the age of 82 this morning, his son and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav tweeted.

"Even though Yadav only served as the defence minister for a brief time, no one can forget his foresight since he often said the same thing during defense-related debates in Parliament: "Be aware of China," because if you don't, it will be challenging to confront. How accurate he was, "said the nation's longest-serving defence minister.

Even though Mulayam Yadav - the only 'Netaji' in Uttar Pradesh was a few months elder than him, they always shared a very good relationship like two brothers.

AK Antony said, "His contribution to the nation as Defence Minister would always be remembered since he used to give the military a lot of confidence and support."  He was always a force to be reckoned with in national politics, and no one could keep him out in any way since he was such a tall leader.

He was the main supporter of the underprivileged communities and the minorities in Uttar Pradesh, and his dedication to his state would always be remembered, AK Antony said.

Yadav had been on life support for the previous week while receiving treatment at the Medanta hospital in Gurugram since August 22.

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