Described by Marxists as “kingpin of fascist terror” since the early 1970s, Ray turned emotional while emerging from the hospital. “I have come to see a person who has been a friend of mine for the last 60 years,” he said.

Ray visited the hospital in the afternoon, but avoided visiting the room where Basu was being treated.

“I do not want to see him in this state. I always think of him as a fighter,” said Rabin Deb quoting Ray. Deb was present when Ray reached the hospital.

Appreciating Basu’s spirit, Ray said though they had serious “altercations” at the political level, they had a close friendship. “Amid serious altercations in the Assembly, I used to sometimes say tell me who will go first — I or you,” 90-year-old Ray said, adding, “I think I will go first because he (Basu) is stronger.” Roy headed the Congress government in the state from 1972 till Basu succeeded him in 1977.

Asked to comment on the relationship between the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-led state government and the Mamata Banerjee-led Opposition, he refused to say anything. “It was a different era when we worked,” was all he would say.

Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, meanwhile, sent his emissary, former deputy prime minister K P S Oli, to Kolkata to inquire about Basu’s health.

“Basu is a good friend of Nepal and a Communist leader of the entire region. We wish him speedy recovery,” Oli told reporters after his visit to the hospital.

Among others who visited the ailing Marxist veteran were William F Shija, current secretary general of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. Shija was accompanied by West Bengal Assembly Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim.

Shah Rukh prays for Basu’s recovery

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan today wished ailing CPM patriarch Jyoti Basu a speedy recovery and said India needed people like him. He was in Kolkata this afternoon to attend the ongoing camp of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Interestingly, while the former West Bengal chief minister has seen visitors from all walks of life, Shahrukh said he wouldn’t be going to the hospital to ensure there was no disturbance.

“While coming to Kolkata, I thought of dropping in at the hospital to see Basu. But I decided against going to the hospital as my visit might disturb the situation,” he told reporters at the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CC&FC) on the sidelines of the camp.