Modi made Kalam President, says Maha BJP chief
PTI | Mumbai | Updated: 20-02-2021 23:19 IST | Created: 20-02-2021 23:18 IST
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Saturday faced flak after claiming that it was Narendra Modi who made APJ Abdul Kalam the President of Indiain 2002.
Speaking at a party function in Pune on Friday, Patilsaid the BJP was not against patriotic Muslims but it opposedonly those ''who work as sleeper cells'' (work for subversiveelements).
''Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given opportunity tomany common people....He made APJ Abdul Kalam the President ofIndia,'' he said.
The BJP leader then went on to say that Kalam was madepresident not because of his religion but because of hisexemplary contribution as a scientist.
Patil's statement raised eyebrows as Kalam becamepresident in July 2002 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was primeminister.
Modi was then Gujarat chief minister.
On Saturday, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said makingKalam president was a ''masterstroke'' of Vajpayee.
''Those who are trying to take credit for it now areinviting ridicule,'' he added.
Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe alsoslammed Patil over the apparent gaffe.
''Patil should not commit a sin by defaming a truepatriot like Kalam. His comments are ridiculous,'' Londhe said.
''Kalam was made president with the support of all theparties when then prime minister Vajpayee nominated him,'' theCongress leader said.
Kalam had shown us the dream of India becoming a worldpower by 2020, but Modi has junked that dream, he added.
(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)