Modi will be disastrous, says Manmohan

Rare belligerence: 'I believe what he is saying will not materialise'

An aggressive Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday launched a scathing attack on Gujarat Chief Minister, saying that it would be "disastrous for the country to have Narendra Modi as the prime minister."   

Singh, an economist who was more forthcoming on political questions in his rare press interaction towards the fag end of his two term, responded to a query if he was a weak prime minister in an acerbic manner.  "Without going into the credentials of anyone, I think it will be disastrous for the country to have Narendra Modi as the prime minister.

Strong leader does not mean you preside over the mass massacre of people in Ahmedabad," he said to the surprise of many journalists seated in the newly inaugurated government National Media Centre.

Asked to comment on Modi’s statement that India will get rid of Congress in coming elections, 81-year-old Singh, who has opted out of the PM’s race, said: "I sincerely believe what Narendra Modi is saying is not going to materialize."

Modi has been taunting the prime minister for the UPA government failure to check corruption and slowdown in economy during his elections speeches and interactions with India Inc.

Singh has also not spared his rival Modi and said that the BJP leader was spreading falsehood about his UPA government.

Singh faced more verbal volleys on his image taking a beating since he occupied the chair for the first time in 2004 and also on his failure to stem big ticket corruption. 

Though bilateral relations with Pakistan has soured due to killings at borders, Singh expressed his willingness to visit the neighbouring country. "I would very much like to go to Pakistan. I was born in a village which is now part of West Punjab but as Prime Minister of the country I should go to visit Pakistan when conditions are appropriate to achieve solid results. I thought of it many times but ultimately I felt that circumstances are not appropriate for my visit. I still have not given up hope of going to Pakistan before I complete my tenure as prime minister," he said.

On the economic front, he said that country is in for better times. “The cycle of global economic growth is turning for the better. Many steps we have taken to address our domestic constraints are coming into play.”  

‘Rahul, Modi disastrous’

The Aap Aadmi Party has said that both Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi would be disastrous as the prime minister. Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s views on Narendra Modi, the AAP said on Friday, “ it will be disastrous for the country if the countrymen are forced to choose between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi as the prime minister.”

“After the prime minister’s candid admission that after governing the country for 10 long years, he feels that his government has completely failed on fronts of employment generation, controlling inflation and curbing corruption, which are the three top most issues of the Aam Aadmi, the UPA and the Congress stand to lose the moral right to govern the country. They also lose the moral right to go to public and seek a fresh mandate to govern the country,” said an AAP release.

“The prime minister has said that it will be disastrous for the country if Narendra Modi takes over as the prime minister. It's a half truth. We feel that it will be disastrous for the country if the countrymen are forced to choose between  Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi,” says the release.