First citizen a busy host at Rashtrapati Bhavan

NEW DELHI: In the two years that President Pranab Mukherjee has spent so far at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the country's first citizen has shown a marked preference for playing the gracious host over being a travelling head of state.

Unlike his predecessor Pratibha Patil, who covered 23 countries during her five years as President at the cost of Rs 223 crore to the exchequer, Mukherjee has visited only three countries — Belgium, Turkey and South Africa — on two short trips in his first two years in office.

But the lack of foreign travel did not impact his diplomatic efforts as he has hosted 75 foreign dignitaries so far at the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan, including the Emperor of Japan, heads of state and foreign ministers.

In his second year as President, 78-year-old Mukherjee has hosted 33 foreign dignitaries, which means a guest has come calling to Rashtrapati Bhavan on every 10th day.

Besides the Emperor of Japan, who visited the country after 53 years, the King of Bhutan, Presidents of Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Afghanistan and Germany, Prime Ministers of Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan and Mauritius, the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament and foreign minister of China are among those whom Mukherjee, who completes two years in office on July 25, has hosted so far.

Not only that, the lawns of Rashtrapati Bhavan was used for the swearing-in ceremony of the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Over 5,000 guests attended the ceremony, including the leaders of SAARC countries and the Prime Minister of Mauritius.

The full range of services were provided in the guest wing of Rashtrapati Bhavan for the visiting foreign dignitaries prior to the Dinner in the Grey dining room on the day of the swearing in.

Under Mukherjee, the kitchen of Rashtrapati Bhavan has been given a makeover with chefs receiving special training to cook up a variety of exotic flavours to tickle the palate of the dignitaries visiting the President's abode.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=Rashtrapati Bhavan,country's first citizen,Pranab Mukherjee

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