Voting out Vajpayee was a ''historic blunder'': Vardhan

Stating that the common man was better off in 2004 than now, Vardhan said in the decade that followed -- corruption, price rise, flawed policy-making and communal politics -- has ended up dividing the nation between the rich and the poor and between communities.

"History is replete with examples of irrational democratic mandates which the people later reversed. In 1945 the British people voted out Winston Churchill even though the great Prime Minister had led them to victory in World War II," he said while addressing a press conference here.

"The most famous recent example is George W. Bush's arguable victory over Al Gore in 2000 which the American people now regret. The same is true about India in 2004. Still, the BJP respected people's verdict and carried its responsibility as an opposition party."

"The people of India wish to see an able, performing Prime Minister. Vajpayee was the greatest Prime Minister India ever had because he had firm visions and was an international statesman, Vardhan said.

Regretting the depths to which the political discourse has fallen in the run up to the elections 2014, Vardhan blamed the Congress and AAP for lowering India's prestige by making slanderous personal attacks.