Amid chants of Lal Salaam, Yechury's body handed over to AIIMS for research

Wrapped in the red flag of the CPI(M), party veteran Sitaram Yechury's body was donated to the AIIMS authorities here on Saturday for medical research amid chants of "Lal Salaam".

Earlier in the day, rich tributes were paid to Yechury at the Communist Party of India (Marxist) headquarters at the AKG Bhavan here, where his mortal remains were brought from his residence in the morning.

Wrapped in the CPI(M) flag, Yechury's mortal remains were kept at the party office, where party leaders, including politburo members Prakash Karat, Brinda Karat, Pinarayi Vijayan and M A Baby, paid their tributes to the departed leader.

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi also reached the AKG Bhavan, along with her party colleagues Jairam Ramesh, Rajeev Shukla and others, to pay her last respects to Yechury.

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar, Sachin Pilot, Ramesh Chennithala, DMK leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin, T R