Last rites of A B Bardhan performed

NEW DELHI: The body of CPI leader A B Bardhan was today cremated in presence of a number of prominent leaders from Left parties.

Bardhan passed away at the age of 92 on Saturday at the GB Pant Hospital here after prolonged illness.

The last rites were performed at Nigambodh Ghat electric crematorium and attended by CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D Raja, Annie Raja, Gurudas Dasgupta and Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, CPI general secretary.

Earlier Vice President Hamid Ansari, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, Yechury and Congress leader Raj Babbar were those who visited Ajoy Bhavan, the CPI headquarters, to pay tribute to Bardhan.

Bardhan's body was brought to the party office from the hospital this morning.

Liu Jin Song, deputy chief of Chinese Embassy here, also paid tributes to the departed CPI leader.

"It is a very big loss, not only to the Communist movement in India but also to the national politics. It will leave behind a void and that void is difficult to fill again," said Yechury.

CPI's National Secretary D Raja said he shared a special bond with Bardhan and it was a difficult moment for him.

"My relationship with Bardhan was entirely different. I worked with him for three decades. It is really difficult to sum up our bond at this moment," he said.

Bardhan had steered CPI during the turbulent period of coalition politics at national level.