Kolkata: Thousands pay their last respects to Basu

A stream of mourners lined up before the Communist Party of India - Marxist of India headquarters and the Indira Bhavan, the official residence of Jyoti Basu, in Kolkata to pay their last respects to the departed leader on Monday.

A holiday has been declared in the state government offices as a mark of respect to the veteran Communist leader. A portrait of Basu has been placed on a pedestal in front of the party headquarters on Alimuddin Street to enable mourners to pay floral tributes. Mourners with bouquets and garlands also gathered in front of Indira Bhavan at Salt Lake.

Basu's body has been kept at the private funeral parlour 'Peace Haven' from where it will be taken on Tuesday first to the state secretariat, then the assembly building and finally to the state-run SSKM Hospital for handover to the hospital authorities. Across the state, silent mourning processions were taken out today with placards reading 'Jyoti Basu Amar Rahe'.

CPI-M flags were flown in half mast in different party offices across the state.

CPI-M sources said that Nepalese Premier Madhav Kumar Nepal and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may visit the city to pay their last respects to Basu. "We are also yet to get confirmation of the arrival of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi to attend the Marxist leader's last journey," they said.

The sources said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to arrive on Tuesday and so is veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani. Basu's body will be kept for four hours at the state assembly on Tuesday to enable mourners to pay respect.