CM Arvind Kejriwal on Kalam centre: Delhi government did what ‘Centre did not’

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and tourism minister Kapil Mishra at an event to inaugurate A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Memorial at INA Dilli Haat in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo: Bunny Smith)

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday inaugurated the memorial of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam inside the premises of Dilli Haat at INA. While inaugurating the memorial, the chief minister said that the Delhi government did what the “Centre did not”, promising to further develop it into a “knowledge centre.”

The memorial houses photographs and belongings such as books of Kalam, who was also known as the “Missile Man”. Kalam had passed away on July 27 last year following a cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture in IIM-Shillong. An online petition started by Deccan Chronicle executive editor R. Bhagwan Singh played a pivotal role behind the formation of the “Kalam Memorial”.

“I came to know on October that the residence was being vacated. His ancestral place does not have much space to be made into a memorial. So I started an online petition on October 27. I am yet to receive any response from the Centre but the Delhi government had promptly responded. I have also urged that it be converted into a knowledge centre,” Mr Singh said.

“This memorial will inspire millions and the next generation. He was a President of the masses. Few months ago, I came to know that the Centre is not building the memorial, but then the Delhi government decided to build it. However, there was an apprehension regarding what form and shape it would take. We will make it bigger. We are planning to convert it into a research centre,” Mr Kejriwal said.

The petition by Mr Singh, which was hosted by the portal change.org, had garnered around 33,000 signatures. It was launched on October 27 after Kalam’s 10 Rajaji Marg residence was allotted to Union culture minister Mahesh Sharma.

“Now their culture minister will act according to such principles while our culture minister will act according to Kalam’s vision,” deputy chief minister Sisodia said.