The treatment meted out to a young nurse, who was sacked after she broke President A P J Abdul Kalam's security cordon to hand him a petition, has upset the President.

Reliable sources at the Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images] said President Kalam was anguished when he read in newspapers about 18-year-old Archana's dismissal from service.

Also see: Girl breaks Kalam's security cordon

Archana had created a flutter when she broke the President's security cordon during his recent visit to a village in Lucknow district and handed him a memorandum alleging her family's land has been usurped by the village head and that her father was facing death threats.

Archana, the only earning member of her family, was employed at a local hospital as a nurse for Rs 900 a month.

A senior official of the President's staff, who has been asked to look into the matter, said: "This kind of publicity is something that we can do without."