PTI, NAGPUR: Former President and the Congress veteran Pranab Mukherjee today described Keshav Baliram Hedgewar as a "great son of Mother India' as he visited the birthplace of the RSS founding Sarsanghachalak.
"Today I came here to pay my respect and homage to a great son of Mother India," Mukherjee wrote in a visitor's book at Hedgewar's birthplace ahead of his much-anticipated speech at the RSS headquarters here.
Those present included Subhash Chandra Bose's family members who have been invited as special guests, sources said.
Mukherjee, who was welcomed by the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, had to walk through narrow lanes to reach the house where Hedgewar was born and also removed his shoes before entering the place.
According to sources, this visit to pay tributes to Hedgewar was not part of Mukherjee's scheduled itinerary and an impromptu decision was taken by the former president to do so.
Mukherjee, who reached Nagpur last evening, has been invited by the RSS to address its Shiksha Varg and attend a parade by the Sangh workers on completion of the training camp.
It is an annual training camp, meant for swayamsevaks in their third year in the organisation. The RSS holds training camps for first, second and third-year swayamsewaks.