By IANS
New Delhi : In a farewell interaction with the media, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Friday said giving assent to the Office of Profit bill was the "most testing time" of his five-year tenure that he said would be remembered for his turning the imperial presidential palace into a "peoples' bhavan (mansion)".
As over 200 media persons from the capital gathered at the huge Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kalam met each of them exchanging pleasantries and answering pointed questions.
Being one of the last meetings with the media, several questions were asked and he had a prompt reply for each of them.
What was the most testing time during your tenure in office? Prompt came the reply: "It was the offices of profit".
Kalam had returned the controversial bill at the first instance and it was only when it was referred for the second time by the cabinet that he was constitution bound to append his signature to it.
It was this seeming act of defiance and independence that probably cost Kalam the support of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) for a second term despite his immense popularity.
To another question "do you wish to forget last month's controversy," an allusion to his reported remarks that he was ready for a second term if there was a "certainty" over his election, he replied "I was always for consensus."
Kalam, who moves out of the 340-room Rashtrapati Bhavan on July 25 to the more modest villa at 10 Rajaji Marg, said he would "would miss the 11 gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.."
As journalists jostled with each other to have a few moments of conversation with Kalam, he briskly moved on.
However, several questions were put to him, "what is your message to the people."
Pat came the reply "everybody should work for the nation. People have to work for the enlightenment of the children."
To another question on his major success during his five years, Kalam said "my major success is opening Rashtrapati Bhavan to the public. Over half a million to a million people have visited this place and it has truly become peoples' bhavan."
Immediately after meeting the media, he invited them for tea at the Banquet Hall where a tasty spread awaited the newsmen comprising pastries, chicken tikka, samosas and paneer along with tea and south Indian decoction coffee, a favourite of the president.