Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger son Prateek dies at 38

Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and stepbrother of Akhilesh Yadav, died in Lucknow on Wednesday after suddenly falling ill, sources said. He was 38.

According to sources, Prateek was rushed to a civil hospital in the early hours of the morning after his health deteriorated suddenly, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.

“I am at the hospital right now. This is not the time,” Aman Bisht, Prateek’s brother-in-law, told PTI over the phone.

Youths who accompanied Prateek to the hospital said he was brought there around 5.10 am and was officially declared dead around 6 am. A panel of doctors is expected to conduct an autopsy to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Despite belonging to one of Uttar Pradesh’s most influential political families, Prateek largely stayed away from active politics and maintained a low public profile. Known as a fitness enthusiast and animal lover, he was associated with several animal welfare initiatives and shelters.

His wife, Aparna Yadav, joined the BJP in 2022 and currently serves as vice-chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh State Women Commission.

The Samajwadi Party expressed grief over his death in a post on X, saying: “The demise of Shri Pratik Yadav Ji is extremely heartbreaking! May God grant peace to the departed soul. Humble tribute!”

Prateek was the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav and his second wife, Sadhna Gupta.

His death comes months after his turbulent personal life had spilled into the public domain. On 19 January, Prateek had posted a series of messages on Instagram accusing Aparna Yadav of damaging his family ties. In the posts, he described her as a “family destroyer” and alleged that she was “self-centred” and driven by “fame and influence”.

However, the couple appeared to reconcile days later. On 28 January, Prateek posted a video on Instagram announcing that the dispute had been resolved mutually after discussions.

“On 19 January, I had a serious dispute with my wife Aparna, following which I made two posts on social media. However, the matter has now been resolved mutually after discussions, and there is no longer any dispute between us,” he had said in the video.

In another post, he wrote: “Haters, go to hell,” while also sharing videos featuring Aparna.

With PTI inputs