President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday unveiled a portrait of nationalist Tamil poet-journalist Subramania Bharathi at the Raj Bhavan here. She also renamed the Durbar Hall on the campus as ‘Bharathiar Mandapam’.
Governor R.N. Ravi, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, senior members of the Council of Ministers, former Governors M.M. Rajendran, Gopalkrishna Gandhi and M.K. Narayanan and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami were among the dignitaries present.
The Durbar Hall is usually the venue where public functions hosted by the Raj Bhavan are held, including the swearing-in of the Madras High Court Chief Justice and members of the State Cabinet.
Arjun Bharathi, a descendant of the late poet, was also present. Padma Shri recipient Vadivel Gopal was among those invited to light the traditional lamp.
Another Padma Shri recipient Masi Sadaiyan presented a shawl to the President.
Stalin, Ravi share dais
Amid simmering administrative tension between them, the Governor and the Chief Minister came together on Sunday and shared the dais twice to host and honour the President.
The leaders, who lined up at the Chennai airport on Saturday to receive the President on her arrival to the State capital, shared the dais at Anna University with her for the convocation of the University of Madras. In the evening, Mr. Stalin, who attended the function in the Raj Bhavan, had arrived early to receive the Governor. Later, both of them received the President on her arrival.
They were seen exchanging pleasantries and making cordial gestures, but stopped short of any conversation.
In the past too, the two have buried their differences to come together for the Republic Day festivities or to receive dignitaries visiting the State, unlike in some States where tension continues to simmer between the Governor and the Chief Minister to an extent that they avoid each other’s presence in public forums.
