IANS/Pune

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis yesterday said the state government would construct a memorial in honour of legendary cartoonist R K Laxman who died in Pune aged 94.
“Laxman was not just a cartoonist - what he said through his cartoons will inspire future governments...Though he is no more, The Common Man he created will live forever,” Fadnavis said yesterday while paying homage to Laxman who died on Monday.
In a rare honour, the Maharashtra government accorded a state funeral to Laxman.
With his body draped ceremoniously, the last rites were performed with full state honours at Vaikuntha Crematorium here in the afternoon.
Top political leaders, media personalities, industrialists, film personalities and others expressed condolences. There was also an outpouring of grief, affection and love for him on various social networking sites.
Besides Fadnavis, several of his cabinet colleagues, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray and commoners from different walks of life attended an event here to pay tributes to Laxman.
The brother of late English novelist R K Narayan, Laxman is survived by his writer wife Kamala, retired journalist son Srinivas and daughter-in-law Usha.
Srinivas said that Laxman’s 89-year old wife took the news of her husband’s demise stoically.
Laxman is renowned for his creation of The Common Man, which ran for several decades in The Times of India under the title “You Said It”.