Punjab Election: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged people to vote for Congress.
Manmohan Singh, in a rare and stinging attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government today, said the BJP has been in power for more than seven years but still blames first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for every problem. "The post of Prime Minister has a certain dignity," remarked the former Prime Minister and senior Congress leader in a video message days before the Punjab election.
Manmohan Singh, 89, said the Congress had never divided the country for political gains or hidden the truth. The BJP, on the other hand, believed in "fake nationalist" based on the British policy of divide and rule, he said.
"On one hand, people are facing problems of inflation and unemployment, on the other, the present government, in power for the last seven and a half years, rather than admitting its mistakes and rectifying them, is still blaming first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for people's problems," Dr Singh said in the message played by the Congress.
"I feel that the PM's position has a special dignity and should not blame history to downplay 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.
"I have at least this satisfaction that after the false accusations against me of being weak, silent and corrupt, the BJP and its B and C-teams are getting exposed before the country."
The two-time Prime Minister also accused the government of a failed foreign policy and of trying to suppress Chinese incursions at the Line of Actual Control.
"They (BJP-led government) have no understanding of 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 suppress it (incursions)," Dr Singh said.
"I hope the PM has understood that foreign policy cannot be conducted by forcibly hugging leaders, playing on swings or going for biryani uninvited," he added.
"We never divided the country for vested political gain. 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 hollow and dangerous. Their nationalism is based on the British policy of divide and rule. Constitutional institutions are being weakened."
There is "selfishness and greed in the government's economic policy", said the former Prime Minister. "For their selfish interest they are dividing people and making them fight," he said.
Dr Singh also referred to the security breach that left PM Modi's convoy stuck on a flyover in Punjab for 20 minutes because of protesting farmers.
"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. The world salutes the bravery, patriotism and sacrifice of Punjabis, but the NDA government did not talk about any of this. As a true Indian from Punjab, all these things deeply hurt me," he said.