Kolkata: The body of former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu has been handed over to the army and it is now on its way to Mohur Kunj, a city park, for the state funeral.
Earlier at the Assembly complex, top political leaders of the country came to pay their last respects to the Communist patriarch. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was among the foreign dignitaries who arrived to pay their respects.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, Jharkhand chief minister Shibu Soren, Chandrababu Naidu, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Amar Singh and LK Advani, among others, came to bid farewell to the man who almost became India's Prime Minister in 1996.
Meanwhile, a barricade near Mohur Kunj broke where thousands of people have gathered to catch a last glimpse of their leader. Some people in the crowd have also reportedly fallen sick.
After his state funeral with a 21 gun salute, Chandan Basu, the leader's son, would hand over Basu's body to SSKM Hospital authorities for medical research.
Earlier in the morning, the Communist's patriarch's body was first taken from city mortuary Peace Haven to the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) headquarters at Alimuddin Street where party leaders and workers paid their respects.
From there, Basu's remains were taken to the Writers' Building from where he ruled the state for 23 unbroken years as the chief minister.
Tens of thousands of communist foot soldiers walked with red flags and posters of Jyoti Basu to accompany the leader in his last journey as his body was taken to Writers' Buildings, the imposing red edifice and seat of power from where Basu ruled West Bengal with iron grip till his retirement in Nov 2000.
At the Writers' Building, West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee placed a wreath and saluted in communist style Jyoti Basu, whom he succeeded in 2000. The state's chief secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty also paid his respects to Basu at the Writers' Building.
Thereafter, his body was kept at the state Assembly complex, where thousands came to pay their last respects.
Many were crying uncontrollably as they bade farewell to their beloved leader.
An era came to an end in Indian politics as the country's longest serving chief minister Jyoti Basu passed away at a private hospital here on Sunday. He was nearly 96.
