The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘President is not called upon to write poems’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jun 25, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘President is not called upon to write poems’

Special Correspondent

Bardhan says Pratibha Patil’s choice a conscious decision

Deep in discussion: CPI Secretary A.B. Bardhan and State council secretary K. Narayana at a meeting in Hyderabad on Sunday.

HYDERABAD: CPI general secretary, A.B. Bardhan, has said the proposal to put up Pratibha Patil as Presidential candidate was a conscious decision by the UPA and Left parties to field someone “who knows politics in coming days when country will go through a complex political situation emerging from coalition politics”.

“Can we imagine an umpire or a referee who knows nothing about the sport. A President is not called upon to write poems, stories, novels nor talk about scientific research. He should take decisions on issues affecting political, economic and social life of the country,” Mr. Bardhan said giving a talk on Presidential elections at a meeting organised by the State council of CPI here on Sunday.

He said the country had entered a crucial era of coalition politics, breaking the monopoly of power by Congress. In this context, the highest office required a person who had knowledge about the relationship between parties that made up the coalitions. “Tell us, what is wrong in our thought”, he asked.

Mr. Bardhan decried the campaign against Ms. Patil by digging up a murder case in which her brother was accused of instigating the crime. After going through the records of the case, he was convinced that a deliberate attempt was being made by some to “throw as much mud at her as possible”. As regards the controversy linking her to a sugar factory that is loan defaulter, he said she was only a promoter and not the owner of the unit.

He said the Left was opposed to second term for A.P.J. Abdul Kalam because it had not supported him even at the first instance. He announced that the next national Congress of CPI was likely to be held here.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Andhra Pradesh