•Shekhar Gupta: Pranab if I can take you back to that discussion…

Pranab Mukherjee: This is the first time…Let me complete it…this is the first time I had an interaction with him…Therefore the short point which I am trying to drive at is that we were never close to each other that I would just pick up the phone and talk to the President of a country

•Shekhar Gupta: And moreover in our country whatever else we may or may not observe…we observe protocols...niceties…

Pranab Mukherjee: Exactly…yesterday what happened...the day before yesterday…the PM suddenly became ill…even during his presence it is not unusual that I ??handle a number of talks…but he is the head…he is the leader of the delegation…the big question was what to do about the delegation level of talks fixed on 24th…so it was decided and this is the first time we have created a precedent by requesting the President of the republic to lead the delegation…and the speech and everything was so carefully drafted

•Shekhar Gupta: As if it was the PM's

Pranab Mukherjee: That it does not appear to be ….no….she just simply welcomed …Substantive discussions I carried out with the permission of the President of Kazhakstan

•Shekhar Gupta: So this is a constitutional innovation

Pranab Mukherjee: Therefore this is the position we strictly adhere to…so hoax call to my mind was designed to divert the attention. And thereafter Indian Air force says activities..???nothing was built up…and everybody knew it…

... contd.