In my enthu, it seems I have jumped the gun in my post of yesterday regarding the inauguration date. No matter. All of you have been kind in NOT pointing out the same.

To make up for the mistake, I give you – 100% fresh – some pics from the foundation stone laying ceremony at Police Grounds today. Any earlier and you would have got it live, I tell ya! ;)

On Cubbon road, all sorts of buntings, posters, banners et al turning the event into a festive one of sorts!

Dark, rain-imminent clouds threatening to spoil the occasion. ( They didn’t)

The Venue – Police Parade Grounds, opposite BRV Theatre.

Inside the shamiana – a route map of the proposed Metro network.

On the dias with PM Manmohan Singh were CM HDK, Jaipal Reddy, my fav. person in the government – the one and only PC, Karnataka Guvnor, TN Chaturvedi and about to take his seat, Deputy (Dipty?) CM, Yediyurappa. Former CM and Leader of Opposition, Garam Dharam had not yet arrived!

An eclectic assortment of bureaucrats, politicians, top police brass and other shakers & movers.

BMRC Chief Madhu making a point, via his presentation. The London Metro began in 1863?!!

This pic is my fav. Though blurred…you can see BOTH the CM’s – past and present – jointly lighting the lamp! If this is not chummy, you tell me what is!

I thoroughly enjoyed myself. That I was able to get upto within 50 feet from the PM with neither authorisation or press credentials should tell you so much about security!

To me, the only sore point was when Dy. CM Yediyurappa, reading from a prepared speech, showed his crassness & chauvinism by mentioning that this project, once complete, would be the pride of Kannadigas. P.Chidambaram – talking extempore – pointed out that ‘namma metro’ really meant a Metro that would be the pride of all Bangaloreans, regardless of origin or ethnicity! The Governor talked too about the famed quality of ‘inclusiveness’ in this city.

So much for politicians vs. polished-ticians!

:)