Chennai/Puducherry: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and former minister Agri S S Krishnamurthy met Union home minister Amit Shah at Chennai airport on Saturday, against the backdrop of dissent within the AIADMK over Palaniswami’s leadership. Shah is on a two-day visit to Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. During the visit, he offered prayers at the Arulmigu Arunachaleswarar Temple and visited Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram in Tiruvannamalai.BJP sources said the leaders did not hold any private discussion. “Palaniswami and Krishnamurthy joined BJP functionaries in receiving the Union home minister at the airport. They exchanged pleasantries before Shah left for Tiruvannamalai by helicopter,” a senior BJP leader said. BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran, former state presidents Tamilisai Soundararajan and Pon Radhakrishnan, and senior leaders A Raja and Vanathi Srinivasan were among those who welcomed Shah.After arriving in Chennai from Mumbai, Shah flew by helicopter to a landing facility near Tiruvannamalai and proceeded by road to the ancient Arunachaleswarar Temple. The temple is one of the five Panchabhoota Sthalams and represents the element of fire.Shah offered prayers at several sanctums, including the Sambandha Vinayagar shrine, the main Annamalaiyar shrine and the Unnamalai Amman shrine. Temple authorities and police officials later presented him with traditional garlands and prasadam. As he left the temple complex, Shah greeted devotees, members of the public and BJP cadres.He then travelled along the Girivalam path to Sri Ramana Maharshi Ashram, where he participated in special prayers and rituals. After completing his engagements in Tiruvannamalai, Shah left by road for Puducherry.On Sunday morning, Shah is scheduled to attend the presentation of the President’s Police Colour to Puducherry Police at the Puducherry Police Ground. He will later hold organisational and official meetings and flag off a “Tricolour in Every House” rally in the town. Shah is scheduled to leave Puducherry airport in an IAF helicopter at 2.10pm and reach Chennai airport at 2.55pm. From there, he will board an IAF aircraft for New Delhi.
