Former president APJ Abdul Kalam’s grand nephew APJ Sheikh Salim, who had joined the Bharatiya Janata Party recently, quit the party on Monday. Syed Ibrahim was reportedly upset with the BJP-led Central government for not making Kalam’s Delhi bungalow as memorial and allotting it to an Union minister.
Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma was allotted Kalam’s bungalow in Lutyens’ Delhi. The former president’s house at 10 Rajaji Marg was allotted to Sharma after Kalam’s family members vacated it on October 18.
Defending the allotment of Kalam’s bungalow to Sharma, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu had said the allocation was made as per “rules and procedures” of the government.
“All our ministers have been allocated government accommodation one after another. Only Mahesh Sharma could not be allocated. Earlier, 7 Tyagraj Marg was allotted to him but the occupant that time did not vacate the bungalow,” he said.
“Now the 10 Rajaji Marg bungalow, which has become vacant, has been allocated to Sharma as per rules and procedures on the basis of vacation by former President Kalam’s staff,” he said.
Quoting Rule 3 of the Ministers Residence Rules, 1962, he said, “Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State shall be allotted Type VIII accommodation subject to availability and in that order.”
Salim had joined the BJP on September 28, 2015 in New Delhi. After joining the BJP, Salim had said that he wanted to make Kalam’s idea of “Vision 2020” a reality. He added that according to him only BJP was capable of making it a reality and develop the country.
