Prime Minster Manmohan Singh with Cong president Sonia Gandhi after releasing party manifesto
An aggressive Manmohan Singh today made it known to his rivals that his recent heart bypass surgery had not diminished his energy or appetite for a good joust with his political opponents.
Striking a belligerent note at the release function of the party’s election manifesto, Manmohan Singh showed he was no pushover as he tore into the BJP, especially its prime ministerial nominee LK Advani, denounced Varun Gandhi’s controversial hate speeches and was not averse to taking a dig at the Left parties, describing them as “regressive”.
Advani’s repeated description of Manmohan Singh as a “weak prime minister” met with a stinging response. Hitting back at the BJP’s PM-in-waiting, Singh questioned Advani’s communal agenda and his contribution to the nation as the deputy prime minister.
“When I look at the record of Advani, all I can discover is the prominent role he played in the destruction of Babri Masjid. What else has he done afterwards as a politician for national welfare?” the PM said, continuing in the same vein. “When he was the Home Minister the attack on Parliament took place. He was the Home Minister who presided over the massacre that took place in Gujarat. The country must reflect whether this is the person fit to hold the office of the Prime Minister.”
“Whether I am a weak or a strong Prime Minister, the actions of our government speak volumes about it,” he underlined.
Continuing with his offensive, the PM even described Advani, a Hindutva hardliner, as an “opportunist” who suddenly praised Pakistan’s MA Jinnah and then hastily pulled back when things became too hot to handle. “He was opportunist enough when he discovered new virtues in Jinnah during his visit to Pakistan. When he came back, his own party and the RSS criticised him. Is Advani a strong or a weak man, the record speaks for itself,” Manmohan Singh said.
Describing the Communists as “regressive”, he said both the Left parties and the BJP had a negative mindset, which could not take the nation forward.
Clearly in a mood for a fight, Manmohan Singh had the last word when asked about Advani’s suggestion that a PM be elected to the Lok Sabha. Stating there was no such provision in the constitution, the PM quoted the examples of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi, Deve Gowda and IK Gujral who had been RS members as PM. He said he would not contest the forthcoming LS polls. “I have just had a by-pass operation. I need time to recover. I am not in a position to join the election fray,” he added.
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