Rajnath leaves for Havana to attend Fidel Castro's commemoration

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh left for Cuban capital Havana this morning to pay last respects to the country's former president and revolutionary leader Fidel Castro who passed away on Friday.

Singh is among the various world leaders who will attend the mass commemorative event at Revolution Square in the city. An Indian delegation is accompanying the Home Minister.

The week-long commemoration began yesterday at the Square where thousands of people are paying their respects to the departed leader.

Simultaneous 21-gun salutes were fired to mark the beginning of the commemoration in Havana and the south-eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, from where Castro launched the revolution in 1953.

The mourning period will end after his ashes are laid to rest on Sunday.

The communist leader, who led a revolution in 1959 and ruled the Caribbean island for half a century died a decade after stepping down because of poor health and relinquishing power to his brother Raul Castro. He was cremated on Saturday.