Madhya Pradesh: CM Chouhan interviews veteran journalist Prem Prakash, asks his fondest memory of Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Tables were turned and roles were switched, when CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan interviewed 91-year-old veteran journalist Prem Prakash at a book launch event in Bhopal on Monday.

The CM held the mike and turned towards the senior journalist and said, "You say all PMs were your favourite. I have never met Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, but I have spent time with Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He was very lively and I have always seen him smiling. Even you have closely covered Atal ji. What is your most fond memory of him?"

Prem Prakash replied, “Today, Asia Pacific is much talked about these days. But back in olden times, there was no such idea." He recalled, " Once, in Bali, PM Vajpayee stood at a hill-top and gazed the point where Indian ocean meets Pacific ocean for some time. He called me and said, 'see, how Indian ocean is meeting Pacific ocean.' "

The veteran journalist went on, "That man could think of Asia Pacific at that time. It is something that we are thinking about now and he already knew that's going to happen someday. He was a very far-sighted man.”

The Hindi version of the book "Reporting India" written by journalist Prem Prakash was released in Bhopal on March 27. CM Chouhan attended the book launch event as a chief guest.