Kolkata, Feb 2 (IANS) Top Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, stayed away from a condolence meeting organised by various trade organisations Tuesday to pay homage to the late Marxist icon Jyoti Basu.
Though Bhattacharjee’s name was mentioned in the official invite issued by leading business association Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce (MCC), the chief minister failed to turn up at the meeting.

Two other invitees, state Industries Minister Nirupam Sen and CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury, also did not attend the meeting though their names were mentioned in the list of speakers. The list, however, did not include Bhattacharjee’s name.

Ruling Left Front chairperson Biman Bose was the lone representative from the CPI-M who attended the memorial meeting for the communist patriarch.

“They could not turn up because of their extremely busy schedule,” an MCC official said when asked why did the top CPI-M leadership fail to attend the occasion.

Leading chamber representatives from Bharat Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI), Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Bharat National Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BNCCI), Bharat Chamber of Commerce (BCC), Calcutta Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and Oriental Chamber of Commerce (OCC) mourned the death of Basu at the 50-minute condolence meet.

Basu, who was West Bengal chief minister for 23 years, died of multiple organ failure Jan 17 in a private hospital where he was admitted Jan 1 with severe pneumonia.