Abhishek Bachcan and Jaya Bachchan reached Saifai in Uttar Pradesh, where former UP chief minister Mulayam Singh Yadav will be cremated later on Tuesday. Jaya has been a Rajya Sabha MP from the Samajwadi Party ticket for years, and the Bachchan family has been close to the Yadavs. Amitabh Bachchan, who is celebrating his 80th birthday on Tuesday, was not present at Saifai. Also read: When Amitabh Bachchan opened up about his ’emotional decision’ to enter politics
A video shared by news agency ANI showed Abhishek and Jaya arriving at the SP supremo’s ancestral house in Saifai. The two were escorted by police personnel after they got out of their car amid a sea of supporters, who have all come there to pay their final respects to the departed leader.
Jaya has been a Rajya Sabha MP on the SP ticket since 2004. Amitabh and Jaya had been close to the late SP leader Amar Singh, who had been instrumental in introducing them to Mulayam Singh Yadav. When Mulayam was the UP CM, he started the grand Saifai Mahotsav at his ancestral village, where the Bachchans were a regular fixture.
Speaking to Aaj Tak after the former chief minister’s death, Jaya had called him a family member. Speaking in Hindi, she had said, “I am very sad today. I could speak my mind with him. Such was our bond. He was like an elder in the family to me. He was very nice to my husband and kids as well.”
Mulayam Singh Yadav died on Monday, aged 82. The veteran politician served as the chief minister of India’s most populous state for three terms between 1989 and 2007. He was also the Union Defence Minister between 1996 and 98. Groomed by socialist leaders like Raj Narain and Ram Manhoar Lohia, he founded the Samajwadi Party in 1992. His son Akhilesh Yadav also served as the UP chief minister from 2012-17.
Trending Topics to Follow