Narendra Modi's PM remark: President Pranab Mukherjee says it's his own assessment

Onboard special aircraft: "You have your own assessment," President Pranab Mukherjee said tonight reacting on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's comments that he would have been a better choice as Prime Minister than Manmohan Singh.

The cryptic one-liner came when reporters accompanying him back from his three-day state visit to Bangladesh put the poser.

Mr Modi had suggested that President Pranab Mukherjee, a veteran Congress leader who became the President last July, could have been a better Prime Minister at the BJP conclave on Sunday.

"Had Pranab Mukherjee been made the Prime Minister in place of Manmohan Singh then perhaps there would not have suffered so much damage as he is more connected to the ground, understands the problems and can think about the solutions," the Gujarat Chief Minister had said.

".... But if Mr Mukherjee had been successful then the worry of Congress was what will happen to the (Gandhi) family. So they put the country in the hands of somebody as a night watchman," he had said launching a strong attack on the Congress.