Date:16/08/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/16/stories/2007081661641000.htm

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President hosts ‘At Home’

Special Correspondent

— Photo: V. Sudershan

A first: President Pratibha Patil with (from left) Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan during the “At Home” hosted by her on the occasion of Independence Day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday hosted the customary ‘At Home’ reception on the sprawling lawns of the Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of India’s Independence Day celebrations.

The reception was attended by Mohammad Hamid Ansari, who assumed the office of Vice-President last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and a number of Union Ministers, top bureaucrats, members of diplomatic corps and media persons.

The former Prime Minister, Inder Kumar Gujral, was also seen in the VVIP enclosure.

However, the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, could not attend as he was stated to be out of station.

It was the first “At Home” reception hosted by Ms. Patil who assumed office on July 25.

Separate enclosure

Also, a separate enclosure with rows of chairs was created for Union Ministers, doing away with the past practice when they freely mingled with the guests.

Among the Left leaders who were seen at the reception were D. Raja and S. Sudhakar Reddy.

The Telugu Desam Party contingent included C. Ramchandraiah and Mysura Reddy.

Manvendra Singh and Kailash Joshi were among the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders who attended.