Thousands pay homage to Ahamed

Kozhikode: Thousands of people from various walks of society Wednesday paid homage to E Ahamed, IUML National President and former Union Minister, when his body arrived Kozhikode this evening from New Delhi.

Several people had thronged the Karipur airport as the mortal remains were brought by the late leader's family and party leaders.

The body was taken to League House, the headquarters of IUML at Kozhikode, where people a large number of people paid homage.

The burial will be held tomorrow at Kannur, Ahamed's native place, IUML sources said.

Ahmed collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest during the President's address at the joint sitting of Parliament yesterday and was rushed to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

The leader died at 2:15 AM at the hospital.

Meanwhile, IUML today expressed displeasure at the manner in which Ahamed's family was allegedly denied permission to see him at the hospital in New Delhi.

Veteran IUML leaders including P K Kunhalikutty, MLA, MPs - E T Muhammed Basheer and P V Abdul Wahab and party's state General Secretary K P M Majeed alleged that the proceedings and precedence of Parliament was "violated" in Ahamed's case.

"Ahamed was India's face in the international community.

The Centre should introspect whether he was given due consideration, that has to be given to a senior Parliamentarian," Kunhalikutty said.

"Denying permission to his family to meet him at the hospital was an inhuman act. Keeping his demise a secret was not a small issue," the former state Industries Minister alleged.

Majeed said the hospital authorities did not disclose the health details of Ahamed even to his close relatives.

If senior leaders including Sonia Gandhi had not come to the hospital and protested, the hospital authorities would not have confirmed the demise even then, he alleged.

Panakkad Munavarali, the state president of Youth League, the youth outfit of IUML, also expressed unhappiness over the incidents.