Wax clone for Jyoti Basu on 90th birthday

Marxist stalwart Jyoti Basu received his own wax model as a gift from his comrades on his 90th birthday on Tuesday.

The wax model, sculpted by Sushanta Roy, stands 5'4" tall, the same height as Basu. West Bengal Transport Minister Subash Chakraborty, who religiously brings groups of children every year to wish Basu on his birthday, presented the statue.

The model depicts the politician in his trademark attire -- a white kurta, a dhoti and black leather shoes.

The seemed to please Basu, though he insisted, "Communists don't celebrate birthdays."

Leaders from Communist Party of India-Marxist, which heads the state's leftist coalition government, also wished Basu.

The veteran politician was greeted at his home by hordes of people, including a group of schoolchildren who presented him with flowers.

Basu, wearing his trademark nonchalant look, took the flowers from the kids, who were later served sweets.

"I can't stop people if they come to wish me, but I personally do nothing to celebrate," he told reporters present at Indira Bhawan, his Salt Lake residence.  "If they don't come, it would make no difference."

Basu stepped down as the state chief minister in 2000 after remaining at the helm for 23 years because of health problems. In the process, he became the longest serving chief minister of any state.

The Marxist icon joined politics in 1940 and became chief minister in 1977 at the age of 63.

Though he has given up electoral politics, he continues to be a prominent member of the CPI-M politburo and the most effective crisis manager in the party.