CHENNAI: It was a near stampede outside the arrival gate of the Chennai airport when DMK MP Kanimozhi came out to a rousing and emotional welcome from about 2,000 party supporters, DMK functionaries, family members and a delightful performance by folk artistes on Saturday afternoon. Inside the arrival lounge, she was received with a warm hug by her father and DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who was waiting with his first wife Dhayaluammal, sons M K Stalin and M K Thamilarasu, daughter Selvi, besides senior party functionaries.
Kanimozhi left Delhi on a Jet Airways flight which landed in Chennai at 1.25 pm. She was accompanied by her mother Rajathi Ammal, husband Aravindan, son Aditya and party MP T R Baalu. Senior party leaders like Durai Murugan, TKS Elangovan, and Jegathratchagan were also waiting with Karunanidhi at the runway gate, which was guarded by police and the CISF. There was a mild scuffle between security personnel and other DMK men as they were stopped from accessing the airport lounge. DMK cadres from all party units started gathering at the airport right from the morning. Folk dancers and drummers had come on their own to express their solidarity with Kanimozhi, who helped them gain recognition through the Chennai Sangamam. The traditional dance to the rhythmic beats of the drum set the tone for celebratory mood on the airport premises.
It took around 15 minutes for Kanimozhi to reach the car from the concourse exit. Karunanidhi’s personal security officers had a tough time regulating the crowd in front of her car. Kanimozhi drove with her father to their CIT Colony house while her husband, son and mother followed them in another car. Barricades were found in a state of disarray and the entire area was littered with water bottles, footwear, baggage and papers as the crowd dispersed with the entourage driving out of the airport compound. Reaching home, Kanimozhi told waiting media that the support of the people that she was witnessing was like a balm as she had undergone much pain during the past six months. She thanked the people for the support. For party men, a feast was arranged at the house in view of Kanimozhi’s home-coming.