BJP condemns Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks on Narendra Modi

NEW DELHI: BJP today lashed out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his remarks that Narendra Modi as premier will be disastrous for the nation, saying it is unfortunate that such language is used even after a court and SIT have given the BJP leader a clean chit.

The Prime Minister's words did not add to the dignity of the high office he holds, it said.

Attacking Singh for not taking steps to curb inflation, corruption and not create employment oppotunities during his 10 years of Prime Ministership, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley termed his tenure as a "wasted opportunity" and accused him of not providing any direction to a developing society like India.

BJP President Rajnath Singh while condemning the remarks also said that the Prime Minister had admitted to the dual power centre that existed in the UPA government, a contention that the saffron party has been making for quite some time.

"The use of such language against Narendra Modi does not add to the dignity of Prime Minister's office. The dirty tricks department of the Congress party has carried out certain tricks against Narendra Modi. If the dirty tricks department used such language, it was unstantandable. I am sure the Prime Minister of India is not a party of that dirty tricks department," Jaitley said.

Rajnath Singh said that the Prime Minister has accepted that the next government is not going to be that of UPA and that is why is has opted himself out for a third term.

"I condemn this statement(on Modi) of the Prime Minister. It is very unfortunate that the Prime Minister is saying this even when the SIT and court have given him a clean chit," he said.

The BJP chief said it was "laughable" to make such a statement even when Modi as Chief Minister has presented Gujarat as a model state in the country through the development work initiated by him there.

"It is a laughable statement to say that he should not be the Prime Minister as during his tenure riots have taken place in Gujarat. Modi in his tenure as Chief Minister has presented Gujarat as a model of development and a model state in the country," he said.

"Whatever has happened in 2002 is unfortunate and painful," he added.