Newindpress

New Delhi, Jul 3: A P J Abdul Kalam, who has emerged as the People's President, will be based in Delhi after quitting the Rashtrapati Bhawan and would actively take part in discussions and debates and continue to meet youth and children as always.

Being the most favourite President of the masses, Kalam has decided to be in the midst of the people, by being vocal on most of the issues confronting the nation.

He would take up the people's cause by remaining in the Capital, even after bidding adieu to the Rashtrapati Bhawan on July 25. According to sources, the UPA government has identified three to four government bungalows in Delhi for Kalam to live in after demitting office.

President Kalam is yet to indicate his preference to the Urban Development Ministry. President Kalam would be teaching in Anna University, Nalanda University and International Space Research Institute to be set-up in Thiruvananthapuram.

Though based in Delhi, he will be visiting these places often to deliver lectures. He will also continue to lecture on Defence, Space Research and Information Technology via video-conferencing to reputed organisations in California, St Pittersburg and International Space Conference in Paris.

Come July 22, President A P J Abdul Kalam will host a reception for VVIPs, a la the At Home hosted by him on the Independence Day and the Republic Day.

On July 24, the newly-elected President will call on Kalam at Rashtrapati Bhawan. The next day, after taking oath in Parliament, where Kalam will also be present, the newly-elected President will come along with him to Rashtrapati Bhawan, where, after the guard of honour, the elected President will bid goodbye to Kalam.

The family wing of Rashtrapati Bhawan, consisting of 10 rooms, will once again become lively with the relatives of the new tenant also staying with the President. Kalam, who stays all alone, is occupying only three rooms in the Rashtrapati Bhawan - Dining Room, Bedroom and Power Presentation Room where he is busy working on computers.

During his tenure, President Kalam gave consent to 300 Bills and returned an Ordinance on electoral reforms during the tenure of Vajpayee government in 2002.

Recently, he also returned Office of Profit Bill, thereby proving that he could not be dictated by any government. Being an independent person, President Kalam often used to discuss the Bill with the concerned Cabinet minister, before putting his seal of approval on it.

The decision on Afzal's clemency is yet to be sent by the Union Home Ministry. Kalam's successor (read Pratibha Patil) is likely to pardon Afzal, which will be resented the most by none other than Shiv Sena, the party, which is determined to vote for her even at the cost of annoying the BJP.