UP minister Rajbhar targets Akhilesh Yadav over attack on Amethi woman SP MLA
He alleged that the status of non-Yadav backward castes and Dalits within the Samajwadi Party is limited merely to "carrying flags and laying carpets".
Prateek Yadav, younger son of late Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav and husband of BJP leader Aparna Yadav, died in Lucknow on Wednesday morning. He was 38.
His sudden death triggered an outpouring of condolences from leaders across party lines, with a post-mortem examination now underway to determine the exact cause behind the demise. Akhilesh Yadav also reached Lucknow’s Civil Hospital after news of his stepbrother’s death emerged.
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#WATCH | Lucknow | Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav arrives at Civil Hospital. The mortal remains of his brother, Prateek Yadav, who passed away today, are kept in the mortuary here. pic.twitter.com/EY3JBM65L7
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— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2026
Family members rushed Prateek to the Civil Hospital early in the morning, where doctors declared him “brought dead”. Civil Hospital Chief Medical Superintendent Dr Devesh Chandra Pandey said he was brought to the hospital at around 5:55 am.
“He was brought dead at 5.55 am. The police were informed, after which the body was sent for postmortem procedure,” Dr Pandey said.
#WATCH | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | The body of Prateek Yadav, Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav’s son and BJP leader Aparna Yadav’s husband, who passed away at Lucknow’s Civil Hospital, is brought at KGMU Mortuary in Lucknow for post-mortem. pic.twitter.com/HoFYlLkOvQ
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2026
Police officials said there were no visible injury marks on the body.
Prateek was the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav and his second wife, Sadhana Gupta.
Four-member medical panel formed for post-mortem
Authorities have constituted a four-member team of doctors to conduct the post-mortem examination. The procedure is expected to determine the exact cause of death.
In addition, a separate two-member specialist panel from King George’s Medical University has also been formed to assist during the examination and address any medical concerns that may arise.
According to reports, Prateek had been suffering from lung-related complications for some time and was undergoing treatment for a blood clot in his lungs. Family members said his condition worsened this morning after he became unresponsive at home.
Political leaders express grief
The Samajwadi Party condoled his death in a post on X, calling the news “deeply saddening”.
Samajwadi Party tweets, “The passing of Prateek Yadav is deeply saddening. May God grant peace to the departed soul…” pic.twitter.com/Fs1hcVBjwZ
— ANI (@ANI) May 13, 2026
Akhilesh Yadav also mourned the loss of his stepbrother, writing on X: “The passing of Shri Prateek Yadav Ji is deeply saddening. May God grant peace to the departed soul. Humble tribute.”
Yogi Adityanath described the death as “extremely heartbreaking” and extended condolences to the bereaved family.
“The sudden demise of Prateek Yadav, son of former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, and husband of Aparna Yadav, Vice-Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh State Women’s Commission, is extremely heartbreaking,” the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said in a post on X.
उत्तर प्रदेश के पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री, ‘पद्म विभूषण’, स्वर्गीय मुलायम सिंह यादव जी के पुत्र एवं उत्तर प्रदेश राज्य महिला आयोग की उपाध्यक्ष श्रीमती अपर्णा यादव जी के पति श्री प्रतीक यादव जी का आकस्मिक निधन अत्यंत दुःखद है। विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि।
मेरी संवेदनाएं शोक संतप्त परिजनों के साथ…
— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) May 13, 2026
Stayed away from active politics
Unlike several members of the Yadav family, Prateek largely stayed away from active politics and public office. An MBA graduate from the University of Leeds, he was associated with fitness and real estate ventures in Lucknow.
He ran a gym called ‘The Fitness Planet’ and had earlier gained attention for his fitness transformation, which was featured on an international bodybuilding platform in 2012.
Though politically low-profile, his marriage to Aparna Yadav kept him connected to Uttar Pradesh’s political landscape. Aparna contested the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections on a Samajwadi Party ticket before joining the BJP in 2022.
The couple married in Saifai in 2011 after reportedly being in a relationship for several years. They have two children.
Social media posts on personal life had surfaced earlier this year
Prateek Yadav had recently drawn public attention after posting messages on social media about troubles in his marriage. In one of the posts, he had said he planned to seek divorce from Aparna Yadav and accused her of damaging family relationships.
He had also spoken about mental stress in the posts.
However, days later, he indicated that their relationship was improving and that the couple was trying to resolve their differences.
Officials said more details surrounding the circumstances of his death are expected after the post-mortem report is released.
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