Taking advantage of the popularity of A P J Abdul Kalam, a Bihar organisation named itself after the former President without his consent and allegedly collected huge amounts from over 700 people in East Champaran, West Champaran, Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur after promising them scholarships, education, cultivation training and jobs under the Vision 2020 espoused by Kalam.

After The Indian Express made inquiries, Bagaha sub-divisional magistrate Anamul Haque cracked down on the ‘Dr Kalam Educational Foundation’ this afternoon, arresting seven persons and seizing cash, documents, letters, certificates and seals from its two-room office in Bagaha town.

A spokesperson for Kalam, speaking over phone from New Delhi, said “no permission has been given to anyone to use Dr Kalam’s name or form a trust in the former President’s name”.

Harishankar Singh, the ‘Foundation’ secretary, had earlier claimed the trust was registered in Motihari on April 4 this year after seeking permission from Kalam to “work towards realising his Vision 2020”. Singh also claimed to have informed the Bihar Chief Minister’s office about their “lofty goals”. But the CM’s office denied receiving any such letter.

The ‘Foundation’ office in Patna is a three-room accommodation on Road No. 6, North Patel Nagar. Its director is one Dharmendra Bidrohi who was associated with the RSS fifteen years ago and would arrange its shaka at Ghodasahan, 35 km from East Champaran. Bidrohi also worked as a stringer for a Hindi daily from Siraiya in Motihari until seven years ago. Later, he taught at an RSS-run school in Ghodasahan and got the job of a Sikshamitra (contract teacher).

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