Kerala Visits off To a 'Groundbreaking' Start for President Murmu

Thiruvananthapuram: During her official visit to Kerala on October 22, President Droupadi Murmu encountered an unexpected situation when a portion of the helipad tarmac at Pramadam Stadium partially sank moments after her helicopter landed. The incident occurred amid her four-day state tour, which includes a scheduled pilgrimage to Sabarimala Temple and multiple public engagements.

According to sources, to ensure the President’s safety, security personnel acted quickly by manually pushing the helicopter away from the sunken part to prevent any mishaps. Officials said that the incident was accidental and there are no reported damages to the aircraft.

President Murmu was welcomed on October 21 at Thiruvananthapuram airport by the state officials, which included Governor of Kerala Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying George Kurian.

On October 22, she is scheduled to perform darshan and aarti at Sabarimala Temple. The following day, she will unveil a bust of former President K.R. Narayanan at Raj Bhavan and inaugurate the Mahasamadhi Centenary observance of Sree Narayana Guru at Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala. She will also attend the valedictory function of St. Thomas College’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Palai. Her October 24 itinerary includes attending the centenary celebrations of St. Teresa’s College in Ernakulam.

Meanwhile, a BJP delegation led by Kerala party president Rajeev Chandrasekhar met President Murmu at Raj Bhavan to discuss various public issues, including the recent Sabarimala gold theft incident.

Despite the brief scare at the helipad, officials confirmed that the President’s schedule will continue as planned, with all safety protocols reinforced for the remainder of her visit.

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