NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Modi and his government’s policies and appealed to the people of Punjab to vote for the Congress.
In a video message delivered in Punjabi that was played out at a press conference, Manmohan Singh said the BJP had been in power for more than seven years and was still blaming India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the present-day problems of the people.
“On the one hand, people are facing problems of price rise and unemployment, on the other, the present government, which has been in power for the last seven and a half years, rather than admitting their mistakes and making amends, is still blaming first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for being responsible for people’s problems,” Manmohan Singh said in his video statement.
He said the government does not have trust in the country’s Constitution and “institutions are continuously being weakened”.
‘Govt’s attempts to defame Punjab hurts me’
Manmohan Singh accused the Modi government of defaming Punjab and its people and said he is hurt by these attempts.
Manmohan Singh referred to the incident of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy being stuck on a flyover in Ferozepur last month and said: “A few days ago, in the name of the prime minister’s security, an attempt was made to defame chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and the people of the state.”
“During the farmers’ agitation too, an attempt was made to defame Punjab and Punjabiyat,” he said.
The world salutes the bravery, patriotism and sacrifice of Punjabis, but the NDA government did not talk about any of this, Singh said.
“As a true Indian hailing from Punjab, all these things deeply hurt me,” he added.
The former Prime Minister said there are many challenges before the people of Punjab and it is very important to deal with them effectively.
It is very important to address the issues of Punjab’s development, its farming and unemployment, he said.
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‘PM’s position has special significance’
The former Prime Minister stressed that PM Modi should maintain dignity (of his position) rather than blaming the history of the country as one cannot escape responsibility by blaming others.
“I feel that the PM’s position has a special significance. The PM should maintain dignity rather than blame history to play down faults. When I was Prime Minister for 10 years, I spoke through my work. I never let the country lose prestige before the world. I never undermined India’s pride,” he said.
The Congress leader said he had worked as prime minister for 10 years and had always preferred that his work should speak for itself.
‘BJP’s nationalism based on British policy of divide and rule’
Manmohan Singh accused the BJP-led central government of dividing the country for political gains.
“We never divided the country for vested political gains. We never tried to hide the truth. We never undermined the esteem of the country or PM’s position. People today are being divided. This government’s fake nationalism is empty and dangerous. Their nationalism is based on the British policy of divide and rule. Constitutional institutions are being weakened,” the former Prime Minister said.
‘International relationships don’t improve by giving hugs to politicians’
Manmohan Singh also accused the Modi government of “complete failure” on the issue of foreign policy.
“The Centre is making efforts to hide the truth of Chinese incursions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC),” he alleged.
The Chinese army, he alleged, was occupying “our pious land for the last one year but efforts are being made to bury this issue”.
“Our relations with neighbouring nations are also deteriorating,” Singh said.
In a veiled attack on PM Modi, Singh said that the relationships do not improve by giving hugs to politicians, or by going to eat biryani without invitation.
“They (BJP-led government) have no understanding of the economic policy. The issue is not limited to the nation. This government has also failed on foreign policy. China is sitting at our border and efforts are being made to hide the truth,” said Singh.
“The issue is not just of internal tensions due to divisive politics. This government has proved a complete failure even on foreign policy,” the former Prime Minister added.
‘Called ‘Maun Mohan’ by BJP but now country remembers my work’
In his message, Manmohan Singh said, “I am satisfied that I was called ‘Maun Mohan’, and false allegation of corruption was levelled against the government but the nation remembers my good work and the BJP has been exposed.”
He alleged that due to the wrong policy of the government, people are suffering from inflation, unemployment and in the past 7.5 years, the government is not accepting its failures but blaming the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.
Watch Modi govt keeps blaming Nehru to hide its own failures: Manmohan Singh hits out at BJP