No one to receive chief guest

PUNE, Sept 10: Pune Cantonment Board president, Brig. Madan Gopal, who was the chief guest at a Teachers’ Day function at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar High School, walked out in disgust as neither cantonment executive officer J. Sharma nor any elected member was present to receive him.

Brig. Gopal confirmed his walk-out and said though he had been invited for the function at 9 a.m., he found none of the members or the CEO present. “I thought some of them might be inside. I waited outside for 15 minutes. No one turned up. So I left,” he said. Sharma arrived after 9.15 a.m. He was told that the president had left.

The CEO went to the Pune sub area headquarters and persuaded Brig. Gopal to attend the function. The two arrived after 9.30 a.m.

The CEO said his car was right behind the president’s car. When he noticed the president taking a turn, he followed him to his office. “During the vote of thanks, I expressed my regrets over the incident,” he said.