High drama ensued at the concluding session of the ruling Communist Party Congress here on Saturday as former President Hu Jintao was escorted out of the podium under the full glare of the media.
Hu, 79, sitting next to President Xi Jinping in the front row with other top leaders at the ornate Great Hall of People was persuaded to leave the meeting by two men, presumably security guards.
The incident happened just as the local and foreign media was ushered into the meeting attended by over 2,296 delegates and officials.
In over a minute-long video, which went viral on social media, Hu, who handed over the power to Xi in 2012 in a smooth transition after completing a 10-year tenure, appeared reluctant to depart as the security men kept persuading him to leave.
Xi is all set for an unprecedented third five-year term as the key Congress of the ruling Communist Party on Saturday cemented his power further, edging out several senior leaders, including moderate number two leader Premier Li Keqiang in a major shake-up at the top.
