Bengaluru: Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam is a revered figure across the globe not just for his scientific prowess and achievements, but for his all-accommodative attitude with excellent secular credentials. 

But for some Islamic zealots, he appears to be a someone akin to a charlatan. 

Omair Ahmad, a journalist, who has written a piece on the former President goes on to say that he is no “hero” and adds that he merely obeyed his political masters. 

 

“The stories of heroes inspire; the tale that is told of APJ is only a weight, a burden forced upon a people to keep them silent and make them know their place so they never upset the status quo. He is no hero, merely a prophylactic against the rise of real ones,” writes Omair Ahmed.

That is not all. The writer compares the missiles which Kalam designed to phallic symbols. 

"Why is it that only the famously celibate 'Missile Man of India' is acceptable to the RW as a hero for Muslims? Is it because he gave great phallic symbols to the nation, or that he refused to use his own?" he wrote. 

As the piece went viral and there was outrage on social media, Ruben Banerjee – the Editor-in-Chief of Outlook, stepped into the scene and claimed that it was an editorial oversight. He said they were carrying an apology for it.

 

Abdul Kalam was a people’s president. During his tenure as the President of India, he toured extensively and inspired thousands of kids, not just by his works, but also with his words. 

An eloquent speaker and an eminent scientist, Kalam continues to inspire and influence many people even though he is no more in his mortal coil. 

But to defame him using filthy words and try to attribute things which he didn’t represent is not just grave, but also speaks of rank cheapness on the part of the author.