Ex-President Abdul Kalam clears the air, says didn't oppose Sonia Gandhi from becoming PM

30 June, 2012

Former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam has tried to clarify in his latest book Turning Points, A Journey Through Challenges that he was not having any reservations against the Congress Party chief Sonia Gandhi's candidature for the post of Prime Minister in 2004.

NOTABLY IN political circles a perception was doing rounds that the ex-President Dr. Kalam was reluctant to appoint Sonia Gandhi as the Prime Minister.

As per the media reports Dr. Kalam has disclosed in his soon-to-be released book that if the Congress chief had made her claim for the PM's post then, he would have had no other choice but to appoint her. As per the report Dr. Kalam has written in the book that many political leaders had requested him not to succumb to any pressure.

"There were many political leaders who came to meet me to request me not to succumb to any pressure and appoint Mrs Gandhi as the Prime Minister, a request that would not have been constitutionally tenable. If she had made any claim for herself I would have had no option but to appoint her," Kalam has written in the book.

In the book Kalam has also said that he was surprised when on May 18, 2004 Sonia Gandhi presented the name of Manmohan Singh for the post of the Prime Minister.

Reacting on Kalam's revelations BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi while speaking to reporters said that the disclosures by Dr. Kalam is not new.

“Information is not new. Kalam had already spoken this thing about Sonia Gandhi many times in past. His latest statement does not mean that Sonia Gandhi has become goddess of sacrifice by discarding the post of PM. She is like a super PM. The real power is in her hands only. Congress should not get happy in the wake of disclosures made by Abdul Kalam,” said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to the reporters.

On this issue NDA Convenor and Janta Dal United President Sharad Yadav criticised Abdul Kalam for taking such a long time to clear the airs.

“Dr. Kalam should have spoken earlier. There were rumors doing the rounds since last five years. He should have put a full stop on the rumors earlier. I am surprised over the timing of the revelation. The truth should have been uttered on time.

Reacting on the ex-President's expose the Congress Party has said that Dr. Kalam's disclosures clearly points towards BJP that did not want to see Sonia Gandhi as the PM.

"What Kalam has said directly points to the BJP who did not want Sonia Gandhi to be the Prime Minister. They had gone to the President. This speaks of the people who did not want to give Sonia Gandhi the right the Constitution has given her,” said Satyavrat Chaturvedi, Congress spokesperson as reported by ibnlive.com.

Notably, in 2004, Sonia Gandhi had declined the post of Prime Minister despite being chosen unanimously as leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party and the newly formed United Progressive Alliance.

As per the media reports CPI(M), which had then supported Sonia Gandhi as a PM played down the disclosures by Dr. Kalam while saying that whatever happened in 2004 is part of the history now.