Political leaders pay glowing tribute to Basu

New Delhi, Jan 27 (PTI) Cutting across the political
spectrum, leaders of major parties Wednesday paid glowing
tributes to Jyoti Basu, with Indian Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee saying the departed Marxist leader had shown the way
as to how to run a coalition government way back in late
1960s.
"In a coalition, the leader of a minority party can lead
a government. It is not necessary that only the majority party
can lead.
"A coalition government has to be run in accordance with
the consensus emerging out of the political parties which are
part of the coalition. These were issues which Basu raised as
early as in 1969 when he was the Deputy Chief Minister in West
Bengal's United Front government," Mukherjee said at a public
meeting organised in Basu's memory by the Communist Party of
India-Marxist CPI(M) here.
CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said on the
occasion that during his last meeting with Basu, before he was
hospitalised, the veteran leader had told him "these are tough
times for the Left movement. Work hard to expand CPI(M)'s base
in other parts of the country."
'Had Basu become the Prime Minister, the turn in
political events would have been different today' -- this was
the refrain of speeches by several leaders, including
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akali Dal leader
and former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker S S Atwal and Union
Minister and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah.
All leaders were one in describing Basu as a stalwart
whose stature was above any post. (more) PTI