The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Tuesday, June 18, 2002, Chandigarh, India

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Kalam gets warm reception
To file nomination papers today
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 17
The race for next month’s Presidential elections picked up momentum today with the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s nominee, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, arriving here to file his nomination papers tomorrow and the Left Front nominee, Capt Lakshmi Sahgal, addressing a crowded press conference here.

Dr Kalam, popularly known as “missile man” after the Pokhran nuclear tests, arrived here this morning from Chennai to a rousing welcome from the science community, common people and a host of ministers.

“I am very happy to be here...I have come here on a mission. I will file my nomination papers tomorrow,” were the brief words uttered by Dr Kalam for the battery of mediapersons, who jostled with one another to have a quote.

Several Union Ministers and leaders, including Defence Minister George Fernandes, Civil Aviation Minister Shahnawaz Hussain, Minister for State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Vijay Goel, Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, besides a large number of people, had gathered at the Delhi airport to receive Dr Kalam.

Union Communication Minister Pramod Mahajan accompanied Dr Kalam. Soon after Dr Kalam emerged from the airport building, Mr Sahib Singh Verma presented a ‘pagdi’ (turban) to him even as the scientist was greeted with garlands.

From the airport, Dr Kalam went straight to meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The hour-long meeting was termed as a “courtesy call” by official sources.

Home Minister L.K. Advani, Defence Minister George Fernandes and Human Resource Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh also joined the lunch hosted for him by Mr Vajpayee.

Subsequently, Dr Kalam had a meeting with Defence Minister and NDA convener George Fernandes at his residence as also Samajwadi Party chief and former Defence Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav.

His meeting with Mr Fernandes, where Union Rural Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu also joined to greet Dr Kalam, lasted for about an hour.

Dr Kalam also called on President K.R. Narayanan at Rashtrapati Bhavan this evening. Described as a ‘courtesy call’, their meeting lasted about 40 minutes.

Interestingly, it was Mr Narayanan, who demits his office on July 24, conferred the country’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, on Dr Kalam in 1997.

Congress to file papers for Kalam
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 17
The Congress said today that it would file nomination papers in favour of Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, whom the party had decided to support in the presidential elections. Dr Kalam would also meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

AICC chief spokesman S Jaipal Reddy said the party’s President Sonia Gandhi would lead the team which would file the papers.

Sources said the party would file three set of nomination papers for Dr Kalam. Senior party leaders, Congress MPs and MLAs from Delhi and neighbouring states were at the AICC meeting today to sign the nomination papers.

Dr Kalam, who arrived here from Chennai today, will file his nomination papers tomorrow.

Besides Mrs Gandhi, prominent proposers and seconders included Manmohan Singh, K. Natwar Singh, Shivraj Patil, Najma Heptulla, P.M. Sayeed, Ambika Soni, Ahmed Patel and Pranab Mukherjee, party sources said.

SC dismisses pleas to stop Presidential poll

New Delhi, June 17
The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition by Kolkata High Court advocate Ram Chandra Prasad challenging the rules relating to the election to the office of the President and seeking enforcement of the rules and regulations that were prevalent before the 1997 Presidential election.

The petition was dismissed by a Vacation Bench comprising Ms Justice Ruma Pal and Mr Justice Ashok Bhan, observing that the petition was infructuous as the notification in this regard had already been issued by the Election Commission.

The Bench also dismissed another petition by Mr D.K.S. Bharaj, Chairman of the Indian National Democratic Party, seeking postponement of the July 15 Presidential election.

Instead he sought setting up of a committee by the apex court for putting up a modified system for appointment of the President. UNI

Sahgal ready for the fight
Tribune News Service

Left parties' presidential candidate Captain Laxmi Sahgal, flanked by CPI General Secretary A. B. Bardhan (left) and CPM General Secretary H S Surjeet (right), at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday.— PTI photo

New Delhi, June 17
Padma Vibhushan Lakshmi Sahgal, Kanpur-based social activist fielded by the Left parties as the Presidential candidate, today said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was sending the “wrong signal” by fielding missile scientist A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as he held strong views on the development of nuclear weapons. She told journalists later that she rated Dr Kalam as a very “kabil” (competent) person.

The octogenarian leader who once led the Rani Jhansi regiment of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army, told mediapersons here that no great political experience was needed to hold the highest Constitutional post of the President. “What political experience are you referring to? I do not think any great political experience is required. Besides, I belong to a political party and have been taking part in a lot of political movements,” Captain Sahgal said in reply to a question.

Reading out a two-page statement, Captain Sahgal said the recent happenings in Gujarat had numbed the nation and she would try to protect its secular democratic foundation. “It shall be my endeavour to safeguard the federal content of the Constitution and prevent the misuse of Article 356 which is now subject to judicial scrutiny,” she added.

Captain Sahgal will file her nomination papers on June 21. She will visit relief camps in Ahmedabad on June 29 followed by visits to Kolkata and Patna on July 2 and 3.

Asked if she was fighting a losing battle, Captain Sahgal remarked, “Larhai to larhai hai”.

Describing her initial response to the news that she had been chosen by the Left as the Presidential candidate, Sahgal said, “I was stunned. It is a great responsibility to which I must respond.”

Asked to spell out the biggest challenge before the nation today, the Communist leader said, “We are facing challenges inside the country and outside the borders. The outside enemy you can see and the inside enemy you cannot see. The inside enemy is keeping people illiterate and is responsible for the repression of Dalits and people below the poverty line.”

Dr Sahgal rejected AIADMK supremo J. Jayalalithaa’s suggestion that she withdraw from the fray to pave the way for the unopposed election of Dr Kalam.