Nuclear deal unique: Kalam

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has found support for the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal from former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
“It’s unique, what he has done,” Mr. Kalam said on NDTV’s ‘Walk the Talk’ programme when asked whether the Prime Minister can be complimented for having clinched the deal.Mr. Kalam’s endorsement comes at a time when the Left parties have again upped their ante against the deal and warned the government of a “crisis” if it went ahead with its operationalisation.Asked whether he thought scientists opposing the deal were going too far, he evaded a direct response.“Fortunately, in our democratic set-up, scientists can always approach at the highest level.”The 75-year-old nuclear scientist also did not feel that the scientists were being ignored. “I didn’t feel like that at all.”“Whatever has happened is (for) good,” Mr. Kalam responded when his view was sought on the deal on which the Prime Minister had consulted him. Mr. Kalam said he had met the Prime Minister before “finishing my assignment (as President)” and highlighted the importance of thorium reactors. “I told the Prime Minister that thorium reactors are very important,” he said.
Expressing his anguish over the repeated turmoil in Parliament, he said “Parliament has to function. There may be a lot of differences, but Parliament has to function.”
Mr. Kalam had a few words of praise for both Manmohan Singh and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who led the NDA regime.

“Each of them has a unique core competence,” he noted. — PTI