Led by party president M. Karunanidhi, DMK cadres on Saturday gave a rousing reception to party MP Kanimozhi, who returned from Delhi after getting bail in the 2G spectrum case. Mr Karunanidhi waited for over half-an-hour at the airport to receive his daughter, who told reporters she was happy to be back home and was confident of proving her innocence in the spectrum trial.
Accompanied by husband Aravindan, son Aditya and party senior T.R. Baalu, Ms Kanimozhi landed at Chennai airport around 1.30 pm. Her favourite folk artists played nadhaswaram, thavil and other drums outside the airport amid the milling karai veshtis.
Emerging from the arrival lounge, Ms Kanimozhi straight went to her waiting papa and got a peck on the cheek. Stepmother Dayalu Ammal gave her a hug. The Tihar experience seemed to have united the first family of the DMK as Karunanidhi’s sons Stalin and Tamilarasu and daughter Selvi came to the airport reception, which also saw almost all the former ministers and DMK seniors.
Security personnel had a harrowing time controlling the crowd and make way for the Karunanidhi clan while at the same time helping the passengers at the airport. CISF sources said about 2,000 DMK workers and seniors had landed to welcome Kani, apart from the party first family. “There were drum-beating and sloganeering, which disturbed other passengers. We deployed more CISF personnel to control the crowds. The departure passengers were sent through gate 2 instead of one,” said an airport official.
Mr Karunanidhi took his daughter in his special SUV to their CIT Colony bungalow, where she was accorded a heroine’s welcome — breaking of pumpkin, applying turmeric paste and taking aarathi, apart from bursting crackers and dancing.
The 43-year-old MP was arrested on May 20 by the CBI in connection with alleged payment of `200 crores by the DB Group to DMK-run Kalaignar TV in which she is one of the directors.