Sonia was eligible to be PM, says Kalam

Says supreme court had upheld her citizenship

PTI | July 3, 2012



Former President A P J Abdul Kalam, who has been criticised by some parties for disclosing that he was willing to invite Sonia Gandhi to be the Prime Minister in 2004, has maintained that the Supreme Court had upheld her citizenship and she was "Constitutionally" eligible.

"I have said already in the book because Constitutionally Supreme Court says that she (Gandhi) is a citizen. So, Constitutionally if the majority party says she should be appointed. But she did not... she put Manmohan Singhji. There is no controversy in my mind," he told PTI here.

Kalam was reacting on the sidelines of a function when asked about the controversy generated by his book 'Turning Points' because of the mention that he was ready to swear in Gandhi as the Prime Minister despite pressure from various political leaders before she nominated Singh.

NDA Convenor and JD(U) President Sharad Yadav yesterday hit out at Kalam, saying "his conscience has woken up late. It is for self-aggrandisement. We used to respect him a lot but now are very saddened after such comments."

Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray also has hit out at Kalam for making the statement after so many years and called him "hypocrite" and "shallow".

Earlier, BJP had also criticised for the comments.

Kalam?s stand on the political situation after the Lok Sabha elections lifted the veil on an episode that has been intensely speculated upon that he was reluctant to appoint the Italian-born Gandhi as the country?s Prime Minister.

The former President says in the book that he was almost certain that Gandhi would head the UPA government but Rashtrapati Bhavan had to rework the appointment letter after the Congress chief nominated Singh as the Prime Minister.

Comments

 

Other News

Who checks the books?

I read about the news about the Coimbatore library over coffee this morning. On the face of it, the headline was about a political ‘war’ between the DMK and TVK. But what stayed with me was something much more important than the blame game behind what had transpired. A writer walking through

Development paradox: Falling poverty miracle and an inequality problem

India’s reduction in poverty over the past decade is a development achievement of considerable significance. The World Bank’s April 2026 ‘India Development Update’ estimates that the share of Indians living below the international extreme-poverty line of $3.00 per person per day i

In Arunachal, a river we call mother

In Arunachal Pradesh, the Siang is not just a river. For many of us, especially the Adi people, it is part of our family. Our grandparents fished in it. Children learned to swim in it. Our farms drink from it. When someone says a huge dam will be built on it, we do not hear the word "project".

A new retelling of the Mahabharata delves into key moments

In a time when every decision carries consequences and questions of ambition, power, loyalty, identity and moral choice continue to shape our lives, Dr. Arun Krishnan’s new book, ‘Mahakshana’ (Penguin India) offers a strikingly relevant retelling of the Mahabharata.  

Cabinet approves viability gap funding to develop grid-scale energy storage systems

The Union Cabinet, chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme for Development of Grid-Scale Energy Storage Systems, with a total financial support of Rs.14,500 crore for the period FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31. The scheme aims to support the development o

Cabinet creates a pathway to absorb Agniveers in Defence Forces

An objective assessment in terms of organisational requirements and operational efficiency has brought out the outstanding performance of Agniveers in terms of skills, motivation levels, physical fitness and technological prowess. As envisaged earlier, based on merit, 25% of Agniveers will be offered reg

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter