Surjeet to be cremated on August 3

NEW DELHI: Veteran Marxist leader Harkishan Singh Surjeet, who died after a prolonged illness on Friday, will be cremated in the national capital on August 3.

The funeral will take place at Nigambodh Ghat at 5 pm, the CPI(M) said today.

Surjeet's body will be kept at his 8 Teen Murti Lane residence from 7 to 9.30 am from where it will be taken to the CPI(M) headquarters so that people can pay their last respects to the departed leader.

The funeral procession from the CPI(M) office will start at 3 pm. The 92-year-old Marxist leader breathed his last yesterday at a hospital in neighbouring Noida.

Many leaders continued to visit Surjeet's residence on Saturday to pay their last respects to him. Chief Ministers Mayawati (Uttar Pradesh), V S Achutanandan (Kerala), Prakash Singh Badal (Punjab), Union Sports Minister M S Gill and CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat were among them.

Senior CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat, Akali Dal's S S Dhindsa and several party activists, friends and relatives also visited the residence.

Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Yuxi, CPI National Secretary D Raja and BSP's Satish Chandra Mishra came to the CPI(M) office and paid floral tributes at the portrait of Surjeet.