Awkward? PM Modi meets Manmohan Singh, days after accusing him of collusion with Pakistan

NEW DELHI: In what must have been an awkward interaction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former PM Manmohan Singh met and shook hands outside Parliament today, three days after the former accused the latter of colluding with Pakistan.

After Modi on Sunday accused Congress leaders - including Singh - of having a "secret meeting" with a former Pakistan minister and diplomats to ensure a BJP loss in Gujarat, Singh replied uncharacteristically sharply. He lashed out at PM Modi for allegedly spreading "falsehood and canards"+ to "score political points in a lost cause."

The two leaders met outside Parliament as they made their way into the House to pay tribute to the people who lost their lives in the 2001 Parliament attack.


Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi, who has been engaged in an often fierce battle of wits with BJP leaders over the Gujarat election, was also present at Parliament and appeared to share some lighthearted moments with Union ministers Sushma Swaraj and Ravi Shankar Prasad.

At a rally on Sunday, PM Modi had alleged that the "three-hour secret meeting" was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, its former foreign minister, former PM Singh, and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari . He had further charged that the Congress and certain entities in Pakistan may be working together to prevent the BJP from winning Gujarat.

Singh later demanded that Modi apologise for "his ill thought transgression".

"My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Sh. Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground," the former PM wrote in a statement that was released to the press

He rejected the allegations, saying that he had not discussed the Gujarat elections with anyone else present at the dinner. Instead, "the discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations," he said.

Singh added that the Congress "needs no sermons on "Nationalism" from a party and Prime Minister, whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known."