A Raja, Kanimozhi arrive home to rousing welcome
CHENNAI: Former Union telecom minister A Raja and DMK’s Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi were given a hero’s welcome on their arrival at the Chennai airport on Saturday after their acquittal in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
DMK working president and Karunanidhi’s son MK Stalin drove to the airport to receive his sister and Raja. Thousands of DMK cadre gathered outside, along with folk musicians and dancers, to give a rousing welcome to their leaders. Kanimozhi and Raja assembled at a designated place and received shawls presented by the party cadre.
A senior airport official said the route leading to the departure terminal was clear and the DMK melee did not affect passengers entering the airport. But passengers landing in Chennai faced problems and police was requested to help them, he added.
It was an emotional moment for DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi as Kanimozhi and Raja drove to his residence from the airport to meet him. Kanimozhi was heard telling him that “it was all over in five minutes. We went in and were told we all can go”.
Raja also briefed his mentor, to whom he had written an emotional letter within hours of his acquittal in the case.
The DMK used the event to make a big political point — of coming clean in a corruption case that was used against the party in successive elections. There were also talks in the party on whether Kanimozhi and Raja would be given additional responsibilities.
Raja was the propaganda secretary of DMK before he was charged and resigned. From the airport, Stalin headed to a function celebrating the 70th birth anniversary of Congress leader EVKS Elangovan, where leaders of several parties ranged against BJP were seated on the dais, including former Union finance minister P Chidambaram.