The Hindu : National : Silent on second term

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Monday, Apr 30, 2007
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Silent on second term

On board special Air India plane: Ask President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam whether he will seek a second term and he offers lunch to keep you quiet!

Mr. Kalam, talking to presspersons on board the special plane on which he returned from a State visit to Greece, faced many loaded questions from journalists on whether he would contest the presidential elections again.

"Please confine your questions to the European Parliament and Greece,'' said the 75-year-old Kalam with a smile, as anxious scribes tried every method possible to make him comment on the issue.

But Mr. Kalam only wanted questions on his address to the European Parliament, the first by any Indian leader, and his trip to Greece, a State visit that came after a gap of 12 years.

Questions on the nuclear issue, satellites and other matters were put to Mr. Kalam, but the scientist-President seemed to be aware just what the scribes were aiming at.

After Mr. Kalam gave details of issues discussed by him during meetings in the European Parliament, the presspersons made one last effort to elicit a comment from him on contesting for a second term.

The witty Kalam had something better in store.

"Air India has prepared a very good lunch (which is) ready for you and it's getting cold," he quipped as he walked to his chamber in the aircraft, leaving the media delegation dumbfounded. — PTI

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