Even as the entire nation stayed glued to the live telecast of the funeral of Missile Man and former President of India A P J Abdul Kalam, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao surprisingly did not go to Rameshwaram where the former was put to rest on Thursday morning.
While his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu showed much enthusiasm to pay his last respects to Kalam at the burial ground, KCR just stayed away from attending the funeral and did not even send an envoy to pay homage.
From the national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Defence Minister Manohar Parikker flew down to the temple town to pay homage to the former President, and stayed there till the last minute of the funeral. BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain was also present.
AICC deputy chief Rahul Gandhi also offered floral tributes to Kalam, and was accompanied by former union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Tamil Nadu Governor K Rosaiah, despite his old age, took pains to pay homage, while Chief Minister J Jayalalitha did not attend the funeral citing health reasons (her health problems are now well-known).
The Chief Ministers of Kerala and Karnataka, Ommen Chandy and Sidha Ramaiah respectively, were also among those who paid their last respects to the former President. All of these made KCR's absence quite conspicuous.
filed in:KCR, A P J Abdul Kalam, Deaths, Prominent Deaths, Telangana