A quick exit

At Vigyan Bhavan, the venue of the National Development Council meet, all dignitaries were given specific places to sit. Ministers and officials took their designated chairs, except Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Not only did he come a little late, he also took a seat near the door along with an aide. He was also the first to leave the hall once Prime Minister Manmohan Singh finished his speech. Sources close to the Assam chief minister said he was not in good health and couldn’t sit throughout the meeting like his counterparts from other states. Like all other chief ministers, Gogoi, too, had circulated his written speech well in advance to avoid any communication gap.