PM Modi also mocked Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for his 'earthquake' comment
Highlights
- Manmohan Singhji handling economy since 70s, now says 50% poor: PM Modi
- 'Is this his report card or mine?' asked PM Modi on Manmohan Singh
- Manmohan Singh criticized cash ban as 'organized loot, legalized plunder'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his broadside against top Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi today, did not spare predecessor Manmohan Singh, unusually referring to him by name.
"Look at Manmohan Singhji. Do you know he has been in the core team of those in charge of the country's economy since the 70s, even he says that in the country where 50 per cent people are poor, how can all this digitization happen. Now is this his report card or mine? Whose legacy am I dealing with?" the Prime Minister said at an event in his constituency Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh.
For Mr Gandhi, the Prime Minister dialed up the sarcasm, saying he is "learning how to make speeches" mocking the Congress Vice President's threat of causing an "earthquake" with details on "personal corruption" of PM Modi. "It is good that he has started speaking, we now know that there's no chance of an earthquake," said the PM.
In parliament last month, Manmohan Singh, a renowned economist, had criticised the government's handling of the notes ban decision as "organised loot, legalised plunder".
He followed it up with a sharp critique of PM Modi's decision to ban high value currency notes in an editorial published in The Hindu newspaper, calling it a "travesty of his fundamental duty" and accusing him of shattering the faith of more than a billion Indians.
In the editorial - "Making of a Mammoth Tragedy" - Dr Singh predicted a ripple effect on GDP and job creation, and "grievous injury" to the honest Indian.