Gujarat, Babri, Parliament, Kandahar...PM lists Advani’s 'CV'
The political temperature in the country shot up dramatically on Tuesday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his challenger L K Advani engaging themselves in a slugfest which can only worsen in the coming days.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: The political temperature in the country shot up dramatically on Tuesday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his challenger L K Advani engaging themselves in a slugfest which can only worsen in the coming days.
Mr Singh, while speaking to newspersons after releasing Congress��� election manifesto, described his political opponent as ``an opportunist,������ and tore into his track-record as the country���s home minister. ``What has he contributed to the national welfare? When he was the home minister, the attack on Parliament took place, troops were mobilised for 12 months (on the border) and withdrawn without any reason resulting in losses to the tune of crores of rupees, the Red Fort was attacked, a plane was hijacked and terrorists were rewarded,������ the prime minister contended.
With his party president Sonia Gandhi seated by his side, the prime minister picked holes in his principal political adversary���s career, and alleged that the BJP leader had played ``a prominent role in destruction of Babri mosque.������ He added that Mr Advani, as the home minister, had ``presided over massacres in Gujarat.������
Launching a bitter attack on the BJP���s prime ministerial candidate, Mr Singh also dubbed him as an ``opportunist.������
���Even though he (Mr Advani) led the communal forces, he was opportunist enough when he visited Pakistan and suddenly discovered new virtues of Jinnah that he was a secular man.������``The party disowned him at the behest of masters in the RSS when he came back. So whether Mr Advani is strong man or weak man, let the records speak for themselves,������ he said, while responding to the BJP���s charge that he was a weak prime minister. ``The country must decide whether this person (Mr Advani) is fit to be the prime minister,������ he added.
The saffron camp retaliated swiftly, with Mr Advani leading the assault on the prime minister. Reiterating that Mr Singh was the weakest prime minister India has ever had, the BJP leader, while addressing a rally in Mathura, said everyone knew that the real centre of power was 10, Janpath.
The war-of-words between the two sides is certain to turn uglier in the coming days, as the campaign momentum picks up. Given the anticipation that the country was staring at a badly fractured mandate, the principal stakeholders would be expected to go all out to sway the voters.
Mr Singh, while speaking to newspersons after releasing Congress��� election manifesto, described his political opponent as ``an opportunist,������ and tore into his track-record as the country���s home minister. ``What has he contributed to the national welfare? When he was the home minister, the attack on Parliament took place, troops were mobilised for 12 months (on the border) and withdrawn without any reason resulting in losses to the tune of crores of rupees, the Red Fort was attacked, a plane was hijacked and terrorists were rewarded,������ the prime minister contended.
With his party president Sonia Gandhi seated by his side, the prime minister picked holes in his principal political adversary���s career, and alleged that the BJP leader had played ``a prominent role in destruction of Babri mosque.������ He added that Mr Advani, as the home minister, had ``presided over massacres in Gujarat.������
Launching a bitter attack on the BJP���s prime ministerial candidate, Mr Singh also dubbed him as an ``opportunist.������
���Even though he (Mr Advani) led the communal forces, he was opportunist enough when he visited Pakistan and suddenly discovered new virtues of Jinnah that he was a secular man.������``The party disowned him at the behest of masters in the RSS when he came back. So whether Mr Advani is strong man or weak man, let the records speak for themselves,������ he said, while responding to the BJP���s charge that he was a weak prime minister. ``The country must decide whether this person (Mr Advani) is fit to be the prime minister,������ he added.
The saffron camp retaliated swiftly, with Mr Advani leading the assault on the prime minister. Reiterating that Mr Singh was the weakest prime minister India has ever had, the BJP leader, while addressing a rally in Mathura, said everyone knew that the real centre of power was 10, Janpath.
ADVERTISEMENT
``Unfortunately, it is Congress president Sonia Gandhi���s government, and not Mr Singh���s, and that there is only one address of power in India and it is 10, Janpath, which is the residence of Ms Gandhi,������ Mr Advani said, adding, ``The prime minister���s address at 7, Race Course Road has no relevance now.������The war-of-words between the two sides is certain to turn uglier in the coming days, as the campaign momentum picks up. Given the anticipation that the country was staring at a badly fractured mandate, the principal stakeholders would be expected to go all out to sway the voters.
Download
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
The Economic Times Business News App for the Latest News in Business, Sensex, Stock Market Updates & More.
Download
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
The Economic Times News App for Quarterly Results, Latest News in ITR, Business, Share Market, Live Sensex News & More.
ADVERTISEMENT
