July 29, 2015
News
‘India developed missile prog with Russia's help’
Dr AQ Khan calls Dr Kalam ordinary scientist
INP
LONDON – Pakistan’s nuclear scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan in an interview to BBC said that former Indian president Dr Abdul Kalam was an ordinary scientist.“Abdul Kalam used to prefer simplicity in all walks of life but he was an ordinary scientist,” said AQ Khan, father of Pakistan's nuclear programme. In a phone interview to BBC, he said that he could not remember anything noteworthy that Dr Kalam had achieved.
The nuclear scientist pointed out that India's missile programme was developed with Russia's help. He said that there was politics involved in the appointment of Abdul Kalam as president of India in 2002. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Indian prime minister and the NDA was in power at the time. “He (Kalam) was made the president because the BJP wanted to garner Muslim votes,” he said.
Dr Kalam collapsed on July 27 at 6:30pm while delivering a lecture at IIM-Shillong and was declared dead soon after. The death of the former president led to an outpouring of grief across India with tributes flowing in from across all quarters.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk