NEW DELHI, Nov 12: The Indian delegation at Yasser Arafat's funeral, led by Foreign Minister Kunwar Natwar Singh, could not catch the last glimpse of the man they admired greatly , because the security drill had cleared only the heads of states and governments to approach the coffin, Indian news reports said on Friday.

According to the United News of India, the Indian delegation could not pay floral tributes at Arafat's coffin before a military plane at the Almaza airbase flew it to the Egyptian Sinai town of el-Arish en route to the burial in the West Bank.

The reason being entry to the airbase was allowed only to heads of state and governments. India's Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) said it deeply mourned the passing away of Yasser Arafat, "the illustrious leader of the Palestinian people and a leading figure in the international arena for many years".

Explaining its policy of close ties with Israel, the BJP said in a statement: "His close understanding with BJP leaders enabled him to appreciate our policy of engagement with Israel. He recognized that India's normalized relationship with Israel could make a positive contribution to the resolution of the Palestinian problem."