CPI(M) Rejects Gun Salute for Former West Bengal CM Bhattacharjee

Kolkata: CPI(M) veteran and former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, who passed away at home on Thursday, was not accorded a gun salute, thanks to his party, in his last journey on Friday.

The deviation in the government protocol, since Bhattacharjee was a CM, came after his party politely turned down chief minister Mamata Banerjee's wish to bid adieu to her predecessor with a gun salute by the police.

In contrast, Bhattacharjee’s predecessor, Jyoti Basu, was accorded a gun salute by the state government after his demise in January of 2010 when CPI(M) was still in power in the state.

On Thursday, Ms Banerjee stated on X-handle, “We have already taken a decision that we shall give him full respect and ceremonial honour during his last journey and rites." She added after visiting Bhattacharjee’s residence at Palm Avenue in Karaya, “Tomorrow, we will bid adieu to him with a gun salute.”

On Friday morning, CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb however said, “We intimated our decision to Ms Banerjee when she spoke to us. We also spoke to the Assembly Speaker. We opined that a gun salute can not be accorded in such a situation because it is held at the final stage of last journey. Nothing happens after that.”

He added, “Bhattacharjee’s mortal remains will be taken to Assembly from Peace World (a mortuary), then CPI(M) state head office at Alimuddin Street and later to Dinesh Majumdar Bhavan (DYFI office) before it's donation to Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital which does not give a scope for a gun salute.”

Another CPI(M) leader Sujan Chakraborty said, “People’s salute is everything to us.” Subsequently, no gun salute was arranged. Later, Bhattacharjee’s mortal remains were brought in a long convoy amid a sea of partymen and followers from Peace World to the Assembly.

Speaker Biman Banerjee, Trinamul Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, state minister Firhad Hakim, leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari and others paid their last respect to the late CM.

Ms Banerjee was away in Jhargram to attend a government event. At Muzaffar Ahmed Bhavan, the CPI(M) state head office, leaders including Prakash Karat and his wife Brinda Karat paid homage to Bhattacharjee. In the afternoon the body was handed over to the anatomy department at NRS.