During the course of interview, Singh denied that Kalam had any reservations on Sonia Gandhi as a choice for the PM's post in 2004.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday dismissed as "canard" that late President A P J Abdul Kalam had reservations about swearing-in Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister after the UPA won the 2004 Lok Sabha elections.
"I think this is a canard which was being spread. There is no truth in that. Kalam never questioned who will be the person who he will swear-in. That (who will be the Prime Minister) was the privilege, even in our Constitution, of the party or person who claims majority support. Anything that was said (about Gandhi), I think would not be true. These canards that were spread that he had hesitation in swearing in Mrs Gandhi... was never discussed in my presence," he told Karan Thapar in an interview on India Today TV.
Asked about speculation in this regard in the Internet then that Kalam had asked for Gandhi's passport and other details, Singh said "It is all rubbish."
Singh said that Kalam, who had sworn-in him as Prime Minister, was aware of the developments in the Congress party and the UPA in the run-up to the government formation then.
Reminiscing his association with Kalam, Singh said he had an excellent relationship with him when both were in office.
"He trusted me and I respected him enormously. This was a relationship of which I was a great beneficiary....As a President, he was a great friend, adviser and philosopher. I had spent the happiest moments in his company probably because we hailed from the same academic background," he said.
Singh also credited Kalam for persuading the Samajwadi Party to support the Indo-US nuclear deal which it was opposing earlier.
The former Prime Minister said he had suggested the SP leadership to meet Kalam on the issue and after meeting him the party decided to support it. "They went to see Abdul Kalam and he told them that this deal is in national interest and that meant the SP was on board and we won the vote of confidence in Parliament."
Singh said Kalam played a "great role" in ensuring that the nuclear deal went through in the Parliament.
When asked whether Kalam wanted to visit Gujarat in August 2002, just weeks after he took over the high office and that then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was reluctant he should do so, Singh did not give a direct reply.
"I am not privy to the conversation between Prime Minister Vajpayee and the President relating to Gujarat riots. But communal harmony being one of the founding principles of our sacred republic was something he talked about to me and said it is a heritage we must preserve."
Asked whether he was was deeply concerned about communal harmony, Singh said, "That's right."
"He often spoke to me. But he did not cross the limits in giving public expressions to his feelings on some of the issues," he said.
The former Prime Minister did not share details when asked about Kalam's revelations in his book "Turning Points" that after the Supreme Court struck down the dissolution of Bihar assembly, Kalam wanted to resign but he persuaded him not to do so. Bihar Assembly was dissolved in 2005.
"What was between the President and Prime Minister cannot be allowed to become public property. But whatever matters came before me, I had full confidence that the President will apply his mind as best as he can before coming to any different conclusion," said Singh.
Asked whether Kalam wanted a more systemic approach in deciding what was Office of Profit when he had sent back a bill in this regard during his Presidency, Singh chose not to answer saying he was "sworn to secrecy".
Singh said Kalam was was always forthcoming in giving him advice on various issues.
"History will remember him as a great President. He is a nation builder, a person who did a lot to promote the cause of self reliance in defence technology. Overall, the judgement of history will be that in Kalam, India had a great President. In his death we have lost a great son of India, a great patriot," said Singh.
He further said Kalam was a "very hardworking and dedicated President who used to taken decisions following detailed examination of issues.
Talking about Kalam's popularity, Singh said he was a "darling of the young people and the children" across the country.
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