UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today lost his fatherAnand Singh Bisht, this morning at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences(AIIMS) in Delhi but won't attend the funeral because of lockdown.

In a statement, Yogi Adityanath said he would not be able toattend the last rites tomorrow because of the lockdown and his responsibilitiesin the fight against coronavirus.

"I am very saddened to hear the news of my father'sdeath. My father has always taught me to be faithful, hardworking and selfless.I wanted to be with him in his final moments, but could not due to myresponsibility to protect Uttar Pradesh's 23 crore people. I will not be ableto attend the funeral tomorrow due to the lockdown to control the spread ofcoronavirus. I appeal to my mother and my relatives to follow the lockdownprotocol while attending the funeral. I will visit after the lockdownends," said the Chief Minister.

Mr Bisht, 71, was admitted in hospital last month due to kidneyproblems. His body is being taken to his village in Pauri district ofUttarakhand.

Yogi Adityanath received the news of his father's death inthe middle of a meeting on the COVID-19 crisis, a senior bureaucrat tweeted.