A.P.J. M. Sheik Saleem, grandson of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, has said that he had joined politics in deference to the wishes of his grandfather, who advocated youth joining politics to serve the society.
Mr. Saleem, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of party president Amit Shah in Delhi on Monday, said Kalam had advised him to join a national party when he had expressed his interest in politics. “The decision to join BJP was, however, his personal,” he told The Hindu on Tuesday.
Kalam had encouraged educated youth to join politics after taking up social service activities, and he too had been concentrating on social service activities, Mr. Saleem said..
He was much impressed with the style of functioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had been focussing on national development ever since he came to power in May last year, he said and dubbed as false propaganda that the BJP was against the minorities.
Kalam was always against differentiating people based on their caste and religion and he strongly believed that the Modi-led BJP government would also protect the interests of all sections of the society, especially the minorities, Mr. Saleem said.
He had taken into confidence the state unit of the BJP and its president Tamizhisai Soundarajan before joining the party in Delhi, he said. He would meet Ms. Soundarajan on October 2 in Chennai and seek her blessings, he added.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders in the district welcomed Mr. Saleem joining the party. A member of Kalam’s family joining the BJP would give a new impetus to the party in the district, Mr. D Kuppuramu, state vice-president said.
His joining had proved false, the propaganda that the BJP was against the minorities and the Congress was the sole protector, he said.
Mr. Saleem had been discussing with them on joining the party for quite some time, Mr Suba Nagarajan, another state vice-president from the district said. He is unlikely to be given any party post immediately, he said.
