New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of spreading “falsehood and canards” in a desperate bid to win the Gujarat elections and asked him to “apologise to the nation”.
Singh also denied allegations by PM Modi that he and others invited to a dinner at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s residence with Pakistani diplomats discussed the Gujarat elections.
Following is his full statement:
“I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister, Narender Modi. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly and regrettably, Shri Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a Former Prime Minister and Army Chief.”
“The Congress Party needs no sermons on ‘nationalism’ from a party and Prime Minister, whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. Let me remind Sh. Narender Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan.”
“My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Shri Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground.”
“I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar as alleged by Shri Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner. The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations. Names of the distinguished Indian public servants and journalists present at the dinner are enclosed to this statement. None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti-national activities. I sincerely hope that Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points. I sincerely hope that he will apologise to the Nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies.”
Here’s what PM Modi had said:
On Saturday, PM Modi had suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat, claiming some Pakistani officials and Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the ‘neech‘ jibe against him.
PM Modi had said the meeting took place at Aiyar’s residence. He had also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq for making senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the CM of Gujarat.
“There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house. It was attended by Pakistan’s high commissioner, Pakistan’s former foreign minister, India’s former vice president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh,” PM had Modi further said at an election rally at Palanpur.
The meeting at Aiyar’s house continued for almost three hours, he had added, “the next day, Mani Shankar Aiyar said Modi is ‘neech‘ (a vile man). This is a serious matter.”
“(On one hand) Pakistan Army’s former DG is interfering in Gujarat’s election, on the other, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don’t you think such events raise doubts,” PM Modi had asked.
(With Agency inputs)
Source: Zee News