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Vajpayee's praise surprises Kalyan's detractors

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh's detractors who were jubilant on Thursday when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ''pulled him up'' for not sending a memorandum on the latest flood situation in the state were in for a surprise when Vajpayee was all praise for the chief minister yesterday.

While on tour to flood affected districts, the prime minister had said that the state had not sent a memorandum to show the extent of damage and relief required and Kalyan Singh's critics lapped up the comments as ''public admonition.''

The scene at the Raj Bhavan on Friday was different when Vajpayee commended the Kalyan Singh regime for relief work during the worst floods and landslides and commented, ''I am fully satisfied.''

The prime minister said he was thankful to the state government and security forces for their efforts to extend relief to flood victims despite hostile conditions.

The prime minister also visited the ailing state Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh and enquired about his health.

After seeing the fractured and plastered leg of Singh, the prime minister said in a lighter vein, '' Bin baat ke pair lagaogey to aisa hi hoga (if you push in your leg without any reason, this is bound to happen).''

His comments sent Rajnath Singh into peels of laughter. Singh had suffered leg injuries in a road accident near Ghaziabad last week.

UNI

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