Chomu (Rajasthan):
Claiming that Manmohan Singh lacked political experience, BJP leader L K Advani has alleged the Prime Minister was in a "pitiable" state as he needed Sonia Gandhi's nod for every decision and that his style of functioning had "weakened democracy" in the country.
"Manmohan Singhji lacks political experience. He has been at the helm (but) but he has not been elected. He should contest, people will elect him," Advani said addressing a rally in the town, 30 km from Jaipur.
"Dr Manmohanji is the 15th PM, but he is not elected PM in Lok Sabha," the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate said.
Advani claimed that Sonia Gandhi had emerged as the main power centre.
"Singh is the first PM who before taking a final decision asks his colleague or minister to go to 10 Janpath and talk there (to Mrs Sonia Gandhi). If 10 Janpath accepts it, the decision would be taken up in the UPA government", Advani said, adding, "his condition does not anger me, but it is pitibable."
"This is not a good situation. It weakens democracy. This style of Singh would create instability in the minds of other ministers and these ministers would then go directly to 10 Janpath avoiding the PM," he said.
"If 10 Janpath in Delhi become so important it is not fruitful for democracy", he said.
Recalling former prime minister Chandrashekhar's tenure after the fall of VP Singh government, Advani said, "late Rajiv Gandhi, who was then Leader of Opposition, had suggested that I shift from Pandara Road to 10 Janpath, but I did not agree. It was good decision probably".
"The office of Prime Minister has a certain importance, so has that of Lok Sabha Speaker and Leader of Opposition in the House," he said adding these offices should not be degraded.
Attacking the Congress on the Bofors issue, Advani said, "The director of CBI has importance. If some one directs CBI to withdraw cases -- whether the government or any organization -- court has condemned the government's interference in CBI working."
He criticised the CBI for giving a clean chit to Ottavio Quattrocchi, who is considered close to family of Sonia Gandhi, in the case. "Quattrocchi was famous as a middleman. He kept his money in a London bank which was freezed by the CBI".
Advani rejected Congress' criticism that the BJP was raising the issue of bringing back money stashed away in foreign banks as an election stunt.
"I had written to the Prime Minister on bringing back the stashed black money in Swiss banks. PM has replied that he has asked Pranab Mukherjee to follow it up. The UPA government has filed a reply of 40 pages in the Supreme Court", he said, and asked "Is it wrong or a stunt?
"Why is Dr Singh so confused now on the black money issue and calling it as election stunt, I cannot understand," Advani said.
He said the BJP would bring back the money to the tune of Rs 25 lakh crores within 100 days of assuming power and invest it in development projects.