The Hindu : Kalam may file papers on Monday

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 15, 2002

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Kalam may file papers on Monday

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI June 14. The National Democratic Alliance today despatched a Union Minister to Chennai to meet its presidential candidate, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

A Minister attached to the Prime Minister's Office, Vijay Goel, was closeted with Dr. Kalam for over half an hour at the latter's office in the Ramanujan Centre for Computing, Anna University.

Though Mr. Goel said that it was only a ``courtesy call'', he told newspersons that Dr. Kalam was likely to file his nomination papers on Monday.

However, the Union Minister declined to comment when asked if he was carrying some letter from the BJP leadership or the Prime Minister. Dr. Kalam, however, chose to remain indoors and refused to meet the Press or be photographed with Mr. Goel.

Mr. Goel was accompanied by the party's M.P., Radhakrishnan. ``My visit was a courtesy call, since I came to Chennai. I gave my regards to Dr. Abdul Kalam. We talked on various issues...'' he said.

When asked whether he talked about the contest likely to take place, Mr. Goel said that in a democracy everyone had a right to contest and the Left does have its right.

Before meeting Dr. Kalam, the Union Minister visited Kancheepuram and had a meeting with the Sankaracharya of the Kanchi Sankara Math, Jayendra Saraswathi, who is performing a `yagna' for economic prosperity and curbing evil.

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