Son to request Pranab for Sarabjit's release

Kolkata: Abhijit Mukherjee, son of Pranab Mukherjee, elected as the 13th President, on Sunday said as a citizen the first request to his father would be to take up the issue of Sarabjit Singh's release with his Pakistani counterpart.

"I know the plight of Sarabjit's family members who used to come to my father in Delhi during his tenure in union cabinet. Our government should do something concrete to get him released from the Pakistan jail and hand him over to his family," the Congress MLA from Nalhati in West Bengal said.

Sarabjit is currently in solitary confinement in Pakistan jail for years. Ecstatic over his father's win as 13th President, Abhijit, who is in Kolkata, said that he congratulated his father over phone and the newly elected President has invited him to Delhi on Monday. "And I shall take sweets for 'baba' to celebrate the win," he said.

Sarabjit Singh is currently in solitary confinement in Pakistan jail for years.

"Already some of our family members, including my aunt, have left for Delhi by train", he said. To a question, Abhijit said that cross-voting to may father's favour had taken place in the Pesidential poll and "this indicates his popularity and acceptability among other political parties".

"I am more proud of my father, since he is the first Bengali to have been elected as the President", he said. To a question, Abhijit reminded how he had been benefitted by his father's advice even during his 26-year tenure in the corporate world.

"My father asked me to be disciplined and punctual and deliver quality work, besides giving due regards to my superiors," he said.

About the number 13, Abhijit quipped it probably played a positive role in charting his success. "My father filed nomination on July 13, lives in 13 Talkatora Road in Delhi and has now been elected as the 13th President."

"Till July 25 there will be so many engagements. So we all together will organise a get together next day, may be at the President's new address. And to a Bengali celebration means savouring delicious dishes," he said.

Non-committal about his joining the national politics, Abhijit said "I have just joined politics and am an MLA at the moment. Let me discharge my duty as a legislator first and any other thought will come only at a later stage."

"Nalhati, from where I have been elected as MLA, gives me a nostalgic feeling and our family's link runs for the last third generations," Abhijit said.

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