President's plane develops technical snag mid-air on way to Jaya's funeral

New Delhi: An Indian Air Force plane carrying President Pranab Mukherjee to Chennai for the funeral of J Jayalalithaa today returned mid-way due to a technical snag.

Within 30 minutes of take-off from the Palam Technical Area, the aircraft developed a technical problem and returned to base, sources said. The aircraft had reached Agra when the snag was detected.

President, later, boarded another plane and resumed the journey to Chennai to pay his last respects to Jayalalithaa.

Earlier, remembering Jayalalithaa from the early days of his political career, Mukherjee on Tuesday expressed his condolences and said that she was a fighter having a wonderful mastery over facts and theories.

Speaking to ANI in Delhi, the President recalled Jayalalithaa entering into the Rajya Sabha when he was the Leader of the House around early 1980's.

"On many occasions I had interactions with her on all subjects concerning development and administration. She had a wonderful mastery over facts and theories," he said ahead of his departure to Chennai, where he will pay his last respects to Jayalalithaa. Asserting that she was a fighter who fought till her last breath, President Mukherjee further said that she fought against the cruelty of disease and suffering.

"All other battles she won, but perhaps everybody has to lose one battle and she has lost that," he said.

Jayalalithaa passed away at 11:30 pm on Monday night after suffering a cardiac arrest at Apollo Hospitals in Chennai the previous day. Her funeral will be held at Marina beach in the city at 4:30 pm on Tuesday.