Rajasthan BJP asks PM to apologise over "false charges" against Narendra Modi

JAIPUR: Rajasthan unit of BJP has demanded an apology from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying he had levelled baseless allegations against its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in his speech at a rally in Jaipur.

Without naming Modi, Singh had yesterday at Ramlila ground here said that a BJP chief minister had a month ago in a Jodhpur rally made baseless allegations against Rajasthan government of violating the rights of minorities, but himself had not looked into his own government's record.

BJP state vice president Onkar Singh in a statement issued here last night claimed that the Prime Minister's allegations were based on incorrect information.

"PM should prove as to when and where the said rally took place and in the presence of which chief minister," he said.

"He (PM) should apologise to BJP and the people of the country for presenting wrong facts and levelling false allegations. It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister of India reads out a speech in public meeting that is prepared on wrong facts," he said.

Addressing in Jaipur, Singh had yesterday slammed BJP and asked people to stay away from a political party "hiding" its communal ideology by devising "new definitions" of secularism.