Kolkata: President Pranab Mukherjee, on a four-day visit to West Bengal, spent some quiet hours Sunday morning at his residence in upscale Dhakuria of South Kolkata.
As his convoy came to a halt at 10 am, a smiling Mukherjee came out of his car and waved at camerapersons who had been waiting for long to capture the moment when Mukherjee - the first president from the state - entered his residence of over two decades.
Neighbours and bystanders had gathered around the Lake Road where Mukherjee`s flat `Vatayan` (window) stands in the congested locality.
The President was received by his son Abhijit, a Congress legislator in the state assembly.
Mukherjee`s wife Subhra was also present for the family lunch.
While some were happy to see the President arrive, others complained about the traffic restrictions and the elaborate security arrangements.
"I am a 70-year-old man, how can I be a security threat?" asked a septuagenarian, arguing with a policeman after barricades were put up outside Mukherjee`s house prohibiting even pedestrian movement.
With the police ordering closure of shops adjacent to `Vatayan`, the shopowners were also not happy.
"Business is usally low on a Sunday, but with the police ordering closure I have lost a day`s business," said a shopowner on conditin of anonymity.
Since arriving in Kolkata Friday, Mukherjee has had to put up at the Prince Wales suite of Raj Bhavan, where the head of state has to stay while in Kolkata as per the protocol.
IANS
