What problem does the Congress have with Kalam

by Amrit Hallan on June 20, 2007

I think the Congress should be indebted to President Kalam for helping Sonia Gandhi orchestrate the famous “sacrifice” that elevated her to the stature of Bharatmata. Had Kalam not intervened, she would have become the prime minister and then three things would have happened:

  • She wouldn’t have been able to commit the gargantuan “sacrifice” and wouldn’t have been so revered as she is now.
  • The nation and the world would have been exposed to her leadership qualities and we would have seen how she worked when she was held accountable.
  • We wouldn’t have been able to realize what prodigal servilities lurked in the dark intellectual depths of Manmohan Singh.


Sonia Gandhi is known for being inordinately vindictive. The reality is, she loathes Kalam for forcing the “sacrifice” upon her when she couldn’t care two hoots about the damn “sacrifice”. Some people are born great, some people become great, and upon some greatness falls like a thunderbolt from the heavens. She was hit by the same bolt. Not even in her wildest dreams did she think that she would have to commit the “sacrifice”. And there he was waiting for her, with his bolt.

She surely has some fishy thing planned for the next elections and for that she wants a complaisant president who would do her bidding as and when she beckons. She has already installed a joke of a prime minister and with a submissive president she’ll be holding the leashes of both the institutions. Supporting Kalam would tantamount to political suicide.

The BJP has rightly demanded that the Congress should explain to the nation why it so vehemently opposed the re-election of President Kalam. When the Shiv Sena decides to oppose Kalam it has a clearly defined reason, but what reason does the Congress have? Shooting down the bird of Sonia’s prime ministerial aspirations?

More links on the recent presidential elections:

[tags]abdul kalam, pratibha patil, sonia gandhi, congress, indian politics, president of india, indian president[/tags]

  • http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/ Nita

    Not many people know that it was President Kalam who stopped Sonia Gandhi from becoming Prime Minister. However, political insiders all know it. The fact that Sonia Gandhi was not constitutionally eligible to be PM but she still wanted to become one must be publicised so that people know the truth and realise that she made no ‘sacrifice’.

  • Alok

    There can be many reasons for congress not accepting a second term for Dr. Kalam,
    1) Dr. Kalam wasn’t totally oppose to a national debate on Sonia Gandhi’s foreign issue. Dr. Kalam also did not do too much to save Sonia from the opposition, when they attacked her on the office of profit issue.
    2) Dr. Kalam has openly aired his opinion to advocate a two front system in Indian politics. A front led by the congress and a front led by BJP. The left parties, who by mistake, I repeat, by mistake, hold around 60 seats in the Lok Sabha, never favored this idea. It is worth mentioning that Dr. Kalam’s proposed two front system had no place for the left. Therefore, when Left doesn’t want Dr. Kalam, Congress can do nothing.
    3) This is a stupid story of revenge. BJP, when the NDA was in power, had not responded favorably to Congress’s suggestion of a second term for the then president K R Narayan. Though, the President is above politics, yet, technically Mr. Narayan was a Congressman. He was a minister in the Rajiv Gandhi Government in mid 80′s, and was supported by the Congress for the post of President in 1997. It was Congress, who made Mr. Narayan the Vice-President in 1992. So, when BJP did not agree for Mr. Narayan’s second term then, how could Congress agree for Dr. Kalam now? Of course, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and company will never ever consider other facts in this regard. First, Mr. Narayan did not enjoy the support of general public for second term as Dr. Kalam does. Second, Mr. Narayan was not keeping good health when elections for the Presidential post were held in the year 2002. As a matter of fact, Mr. Narayan passed away only a few months after his retirement as President. Dr. Kalam is still healthy.
    Needless to say, there was one thing common between Mr. Narayan and Dr Kalam. All though out, when their respected name was proposed for second term and when it was rejected, they never lost their dignity. Both will be remembered as great Presidents.
    4) One wonders if such a thing can ever be said about the most likely next President Pratibha Patil. All Presidents, have had some distinguished qualifications. And all of them became presidents in special conditions. R Venkatraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma and K R Narayan were all three elevated from Vice-President of India to become the President. Mind you, the Vice-President of India is a very tough post. Practically, Vice-President of India is the Chairperson of Rajya Sabha. It is very difficult for the Vice-President to become the President unless he has the most incredible record as VP and enjoys the backing of all parties, which all three did. R Venkatraman, Shankar Dayal Sharma, K R Narayan along with Dr. Kalam did a splendid job as Presidents. Once they became Presidents, they acted in complete accordance with they constitution and above party lines. How can one believe that a person (Mrs Pratibha Patil)who is being nominated, keeping in view the next general elections in 2009, will not be asked to act on party lines. Imagine, after a puppet Prime Minister, now we are in for a puppet President. In such circumstances, it is most unlikely that Pratibha Patil will get same respect as all former Presidents have got.
    Well, all one can say is that by not nominating Dr. Kalam for a second term, Sonia Gandhi and Congress has shown that public sentiments mean nothing in Indian democracy. Leaders can do what they want.

  • kannan

    KR Narayanan was not a impartial president, very much favouring the Kangressis and returning past favours.

    Kalam was right in propagating a two party system, multiple parties weaken democracy and only encourage horse trading of MP’s/MLA’s

  • sam

    i came to know that Dr.kalam has refused to pass some report or budget after it has passed parliament but congress repassed that one without any change in parliament. as per our constitution if one report passed twice in parliament, president have to sign and pass that one.. i want to know what was that report about

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