Narendra Modi to leave on late March 28 for Lee Kuan Yew's funeral

New Delhi, March 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Singapore on Saturday night to attend the funeral of Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of Singapore, on Sunday [Thousands pay tribute to Lee Kuan Yew on Singapore's streets]

India is to observe national mourning on March 29 as a mark of respect to Lee Kuan Yew and the national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the country on Sunday. There will be no official entertainment.

Asia-Pacific leaders including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and South Korean President Park Geun-hye are among the other leaders expected to attend the funeral.

Thousands of people chanting "We love you, Lee Kuan Yew!" lined Singapore's streets on Wednesday to pay tribute to the country's founding father, whose casket was taken to Parliament House for public viewing.

The coffin, wrapped in the Singaporean flag, was taken in a slow motorcade on a gun carriage as people wept on the streets, mourning the loss of the 91-year-old patriarch who passed away on Monday.

IANS