Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri attacks Manmohan Singh, says he did not exercise power when needed

Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri Sunday took a dig at former prime minister Manmohan Singh for terming demonetisation "organised loot", saying he did not exercise his authority when there was a dire situation.

Speaking at 'India Ideas Conclave' here, Puri also lambasted opposition leaders for joining hands with the Congress despite their lifelong struggle against the "one family" party.

"One worthy (former) prime minister termed demonetisation as organised loot. I don't know where he was getting his facts from," he said.


He accused Manmohan Singh of not exercising his "political power" when there was a need for him to do so.

"There was a group of men around Sonia Gandhi who were more effective decision makers. It (the situation) arose because Prime Minister of India was an appointee. He was an appointee and when he was appointed (as PM), the rules of Congress Parliamentary Party were changed. So it was not that an elected member of Parliament became prime minister but it was the other way around," Puri said.

He also lashed out at efforts of political parties to cobble up an anti-BJP alliance by joining hands with the Congress.

"Look at the people who are coming together. There are people whose entire life is based on opposition to one family," the Union urban affairs minister said.

He asserted that the discourse for 2019 parliamentary elections will be determined by things like how many gas connections were allotted, how many toilets and PM Awas Yojna houses were built, Ayushman Bharat and not the Rafale deal issue raised by the Congress.

"That's what aspirational India is looking for and not some fictitious thing you do about an airplane whose name you can not pronounce," Puri said.

He also differentiated between original and Latin American ways of pronouncing "Rafale".

"I keep telling them, it's Rafale. It's not Rafayale. Rafayale is a Latin American name if you have a connection with Latin America, otherwise it's a different name," he quipped.