Gone are the days when Pranab Mukherjee’s visits to Chennai as a Congress bigwig were marked by political speculations. On Saturday, when Mukherjee arrived here on a day’s visit for the first time after assuming the highest office of the country, it was all for the first citizen of the Nation.
The President was given a grand lunch by Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah at Raj Bhavan which was attended by Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her Cabinet colleagues. The President was enthralled by Padma Bhusan recipient TN Krishnan by his carnatic and Tamil numbers for about 45 minutes while lunch lasted for well over an hour.
During the lunch, Jayalalithaa was seen engaged in a lively conversation with the President and Union Ministers Salman Khurshid and GK Vasan. Supreme Court judge Justice Aftab Alam and Chief Justice of Madras High Court MY Eqbal were among those present.
The Governor presented a painting to the President while Mukherjee presented a memento to Krishnan in appreciation of his renderings. Jayalalithaa praised Krishnan for his renderings.
Significantly, there was no one from the DMK present at the lunch. Though there were reports that DMK president would meet Mukherjee, he did not turn up. However, a delegation of DMK leaders led by party treasurer MK Stalin called on the President at Raj Bhavan after the lunch hosted by the Governor was over.
“It was a courtesy call. Since it was his first visit to the State after occupying the highest office, we came to greet him on behalf of DMK president M Karunanidhi,” Stalin later told mediapersons.
Earlier, at the airport, the President was given a warm reception by Governor and the Chief Minister. He was given a guard of honour by the personnel of three Armed Forces. Tamil Nadu Ministers, Congress leaders including TNCC president BS Gnanadesikan, former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran and Prince of Arcot Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali were among those present at the airport.
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