However, Vajpayee instructed his aides to collect from the nearly 300 people, who had gathered at his Safdarjung residence, their petitions listing their grievances and promised to look into each one of them and do the needful.

Omprakash Chauhan, who had come to convey the ``injustice'' meted out to blind people at their places of work, was dismayed at not being able to meet the Prime Minister. He climbed atop the iron barricade and started shouting anti-government slogans. He was joined by Gopal Pandey of Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh who wanted to raise the issue of acute crisis of drinking water in his area. However, for 64-year bard from Madhubani in Bihar, ``Subandhu Kavi'' Biltu Chaudhury, it was a memorable occasion as he recited some of his poems in praise of Vajpayee.

Earlier, addressing the gathering,Vajpayee dwelt upon the necessity of bringing down the number of deaths of pregnant mothers as also tackling infant mortality. ``There is a lack of adequate measures for ensuring the welfare of pregnant women in villages. This has to be looked into,'' he said.

Vajpayee expressed regret over the inconvenience caused to the public and gave an assurance that all representations collected by his aides would receive due.