Kovind was stopped from entering retreat

CHANDIGARH/SHIMLA: A little over three weeks ago, Bihar governor Ram Nath Kovind, the BJP’s presidential nominee, was denied entry into Mashobra’s Retreat Building, part of the presidential estate in Himachal Pradesh, during a family trip.

A few weeks from now, the low-profile Kovind, whose family roamed around in hired taxis, could well be the custodian of the sprawling presidential summer retreat, about 15 km from Shimla. Kovind is expected to win the July 17 presidential poll and succeed Pranab Mukherjee as India’s head of state.

The BJP chose Kovind, who has worked for the uplift of Dalits, to reach out to the country’s backward castes. The 71-yearold, who arrived on May 28, visited several places in and around Shimla. However, when he reached the Retreat in a high security zone in the leafy Mashobra hills, Kovind could not enter the complex as he did not have the required permission.

The retreat is managed by the President of India’s office. Entry to the retreat is allowed only after permission from the President’s office. The Himachal Pradesh Police guard the retreat.

“Kovind did not call up anyone for permission but quietly returned to the Governor’s house at Barnes Court in Shimla. It was only on his return to Raj Bhawan that he told us that he was not allowed entry to the retreat,” Shashi Kant Sharma, the adviser to governor Acharya Dev Vrat, told HT.