“Can a sad man lead a resurgent nation?” The BJP, the main Opposition party, has sought to put this query before the nation by depicting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a “helpless leader”.

The party  pointed out to what it described as “the pathetic spectacle” of the PMO informing a section of the media on Monday that the PM was embarrassed and pained over the N-deal fiasco. “The reality thrown up about the sad and helpless Prime Minister is a cause for national worry. Can a sad and helpless Prime Minister lead India? India is a growing, youthful and resurgent nation. It needs an enthusiastic leader who is decisive, who can take decisions and implement them,” BJP national General Secretary Arun Jaitley said in a statement.