While Rashtrapati Bhawan sources confirmed the meeting they were not forthcoming on the topic of discussion between the two. Shekhar also declined to comment on the issues.

Sources close to him, however, say that he expressed his serious concern over the way the BJP government had handled the situation. He was very disturbed by the fact that they allowed the US to act as an intermediary in the Indo-Pak conflict.

Though Shekhar had initially opposed holding the Rajya Sabha session to discuss Kargil, he now feels that the failure of the Vajpayee government should be brought to the notice of the nation. ``This is no war. They entered our territory, killed our jawans and we are saying we will win. This is ridiculous,'' he is reported to havesaid.

Chandra Shekhar is also concerned that the Kashmir issue has been internationalised by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee by sending his special envoy to the G-8 and also by writing to the US President telling him that India would be left with no alternative but to cross the LoC if Pakistan did not withdraw.

The President plans to meet a number of other senior leaders individually in the days to come, sources say.