Jyoti Basu, 95, passes away

Veteran Communist Leaderand former Bengal CM, Jyoti Basu passed away in Kolkata Hospital at the age of 95.At 12.10 pm on Sunday, an emotional Biman Bose, the Chairman of the Left Front coordination committee announced the demise of the Veteran Leader.

Veteran Communist leader and former West Bengal Chief Minister, Jyoti Basu passed away in Kolkata's AMRI Hospital on Sunday (January 17) at the age of 95. (NDTV Photo)

An emotional Biman Bose, the Chairman of the Left Front coordination committee announced the demise of the veteran leader. (NDTV Photo)
Jyoti Basu's body was taken to his son Chandan Basu's house at Salt Lake, and later to his own house, Meera Bhawan. The body is currently at Peace Haven, in central Kolkata to prepare it for public tribute on Monday. (NDTV Photo)
A pall of gloom descended on the city as soon as the news of the CPM patriarch's death spread. A huge crowd gathered at the AMRI hospital in the Salt Lake area of Kolkata.

People surrounded the hearse that carried the body from the hospital. The hearse had CPM flags and flowers draped on it and the body lay in a transparent capsule so that people could see it. (NDTV Photo)
The road leading to the hospital was closed to traffic by the police who were deployed in large numbers.(NDTV Photo)
Basu is being remembered as one of the tallest leaders of Indian politics.Condolences and tributes are pouring in, cutting across party lines.

Describing Jyoti Basu as a stalwart, senior BJP leader L K Advani said that the late Marxist was among the greats. (NDTV Photo)

Paying his tribute to the leader, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said it was the end of an era in the annals of Indian politics.
Home Minister P Chidambaram described veteran leader Jyoti Basu as a great son of India and a source of inspiration. He said that Basu strode like a colossus on the Indian political scene for several decades.(NDTV Photo)
Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee spoke about his close intimacy with Basu that developed post 1960s. He also said that the country has lost a great parliamentarian and a patriot. (NDTV Photo)

Arun Jaitely, member of BJP, referred to him as one of the tallest contemporary leaders, devoted to his ideology, with perhaps one of the longest innings in Indian public life. (NDTV Photo)
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the CPM Headquarters in Delhi on Monday to pay tribute to Jyoti Basu. (NDTV Photo)
Doctor Manmohan Singh wrote this note in the condolence book: ‘In the sad demise of Shri Jyoti Basu, our country has lost a great son who was a great statesman & a great patriot. I convey my deepest condolences to the members of the bereaved family and to the countless admirers, comrades and followers of Shri Basu. Manmohan Singh” (NDTV Photo)