President Ram Nath Kovind to arrive in Chennai today; Five tier security cover, 5,000 cops deployed

New Delhi, Aug 02: President Ram Nath Kovind will grace and address the commemoration of the 100th year of the Madras Legislative Council in Chennai Monday and unveil a portrait of the former chief minister Dr Kalaignar M Karunanidhi, an official statement issued on Sunday said.

Kovind will be in Tamil Nadu from August 2 to 6, it said.

The president will visit the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington on August 4 and address the Student Officers of the 77th Staff Course, said the statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

As many as 5,000 police personnel, including commandos, would be deployed and a five-tier security cover put in place for President Ram Nath Kovind, who is set to preside over a commemorative event here to mark the centenary of the state legislature on Monday, police said.

The Assembly hall and the state secretariat, both in Fort St George, the Raj Bhavan, and the airport have been brought under the five-tier security cover. Led by Chennai police commissioner Shankar Jiwal, 5,000 personnel, including those from commando unit, will be on duty for Kovind's visit. Precautionary measures and appropriate security arrangements are in place in all the routes that would be used by the President during his visit here, a police release said.

Earlier, Jiwal chaired a meet of senior police officials to review security arrangements and advised them on measures to be followed in view of Kovind's visit.

According to the President's tentative itinerary, he will arrive here on August 2 (afternoon), preside over the centenary fete at the Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly in the evening and also unveil a portrait of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi in the House.

On Monday night, Kovind would stay at the Raj Bhavan here and leave for the Nilgiris District on Tuesday. On August 4, he would visit the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington near Ooty and address the Student Officers of the 77th Staff Course. He would stay at the Raj Bhavan there and leave for Delhi on August 6.