India's slow down in economy will not persist; eyeing 7-8% growth in next two years: PM Manmohan Singh

NEW DELHI: A combative Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today hit out at BJP in the Lok Sabha for trying to belittle UPA government's achievements saying the party will fail at the hustings next year like it did in 2004 and 2009.

In an apparent reference to Narendra Modi's attack on Congress as "termites" and him as a "night watchman" at the BJP National Council meeting in Delhi on Sunday, he said the party hurled the "choicest abuses" against the Congress leadership and made it clear he would not reply to them in "that language".

Winding up the discussion on the motion of thanks on the President's address, Singh spoke at length on various issues including economy, keeping India's options open on the US resolution against Sri Lankan at the UNHCR vote, ties with Pakistan and the situation in Maldives.

He expressed confidence that India's slow down in economy will not persist and that the country will return to the growth rate of 7-8 per cent in next two years.

Reserving his reposte for BJP, the Prime Minister said "You used choicest abuses against us. It is not my intention to reply in that language because our performance is the best judge."

Employing Urdu and Hindi couplets and proverb deftly, the usually-soft spoken Singh took pot shots at L K Advani, saying the BJP lost the 2004 polls after its "India Shining" campaign and faced defeat against in 2009 when they pitted "iron man" against the "lamb that Manmohan Singh is".

"I am confident that the people will again elect us in the next elections based on our performance," the Prime Minister said amidst repeated thumping of desks by the treasury benches.

"Jo garajte hain, woh baraste nahi (Thunderous clouds do not bring showers)," he said taking a dig at BJP's use of strong words of criticsm.