President Droupadi Murmu, on Monday, received the civic honour accorded on behalf of the citizens of the twin cities by the Hubballi-Dharwad Mahanagara Palike (HDMP), at a programme held at the KGA Ground at Deshpande Nagar in Hubballi.
She was also presented with a silver idol of Siddharooda Swamiji and a book on him. Murmu is the second President, after Gyani Jail Singh, to receive the civic honour.
“This felicitation is an honour for all daughters of the country,” Murmu said after her felicitation.
Calling the region a land that harmoniously blended ancient heritage and modernity, Murmu, in her eight-minute speech, named the region’s stalwarts, who contributed to literature, music, spirituality, freedom struggle and other fields, and highlighted the importance of education in the welfare of the country. She also called upon all to work towards making the country a developed one and “atmanirbhar” by 2047.
Tribal community members in the region—the HDMP had invited Danagar Gouli community members from Dharwad district and Siddhi community members from Uttara Kannada district—also attended the event.
Danagar Gouli member Pandurang Thorwath expressed joy for having attended the programme and said that he and his community members came in their traditional festival dress to welcome the President.
He said it was a matter of pride for him that a tribal woman is now the President of India.
HDMP-employed pourakarmikas were also in attendance.
Along with President Murmu, Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi, district in-charge minister Halappa Achar, handloom, textile & sugar minister Shankar Patil Munenakoppa, MLAs Jagadish Shettar, Arvind Bellad, Prasad Abbayya and Amruth Desai, and Hubballi-Dharwad mayor Iresh Anchatgeri were present on the stage.
Doing without the mayoral gown
Mayor Anchatageri did not wear the gown while receiving the President at the civic felicitation.
Terming the practice of the mayor wearing the gown as a British ritual, he stated that he would wear the gown only if the government rejected his request to do away with the gown culture and made wearing it mandatory.
Anchatgeri had earlier received the chief minister at the airport, too, without the gown, and urged him to change this ritual attire.
Congress members express discontent
On the other hand, although Congress corporators had decided on Sunday to not attend the event because they were not taken into confidence, they still came for the function on Monday morning, as asked by senior party leaders.
They allege that by the time they arrived at the venue, chairs meant for the corporators and other dignitaries were occupied, and claimed the Congress corporators sat on the ground.
Chairs were later arranged for them.
Congress corporator Niranjan Hiremath, and others, alleged that it was organised like a Bharatiya Janata Party’s event and that decisions were taken unilaterally, with BJP workers occupying the chairs meant for corporators. They also alleged that Congress MLA Prasad Abbayya’s name was also not in the list of dignitaries to be present on stage originally, and was only added at the last moment.
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