Manmohan Singh tired, skips meeting with political leaders

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh skipped a Sunday meeting with leaders of political parties convened by Speaker Meira Kumar on the eve of the monsoon session of Parliament.

The Speaker said the Prime Minister could not make it as he was unwell. However, the Prime Minister’s Office said he was tired after attending the day-long meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) on Saturday.

At the all-party meeting, which was followed by lunch, it was left to parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal to defend the government in the face a combative Opposition, which insisted on an adjournment motion on the issue of price rise.