07-27-2007, 05:02 PM
<b>I did not receive papers on Afzal's mercy plea: Kalam</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->'Regarding Afzal Guru, I have not received any papers from the ministry concerned so far,' Kalam said, while responding to a question asked during an interview to India Today magazine on requests for clemency for persons facing the death penalty, including Guru, which had been pending with him.
Kalam, who had sent Guru's mercy plea to the home ministry for its views, went on to say, 'If <b>the papers had come to me, I would have processed them for their worth.' </b>
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On concerns voiced by some political parties that the Indo-US nuclear deal will compromise the country's strategic capability, Dr Kalam said: 'We have to take the thorium route since we have large reserves of it available...Our scientists can lead to thorium-based nuclear reactor for energy production. I believe in them.'
<b>Candidly admitting that he was concerned over the quality of political discourse in the country and the lack of focus on certain critical issues, he said development was not being talked about as it should be</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Kalam, who had sent Guru's mercy plea to the home ministry for its views, went on to say, 'If <b>the papers had come to me, I would have processed them for their worth.' </b>
......
On concerns voiced by some political parties that the Indo-US nuclear deal will compromise the country's strategic capability, Dr Kalam said: 'We have to take the thorium route since we have large reserves of it available...Our scientists can lead to thorium-based nuclear reactor for energy production. I believe in them.'
<b>Candidly admitting that he was concerned over the quality of political discourse in the country and the lack of focus on certain critical issues, he said development was not being talked about as it should be</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->