Amit Shah defends PM Modi, taunts Manmohan Singh

Defending Narendra Modi who has been drawing flak post the demonetisation drive, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Sunday said the nation has finally got a Prime Minister who puts forth his views before the nation.

Shah, who was addressing the 'Tridev Sammelan' here, also used the occasion to corner former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

"Rahul Gandhi asks what has been achieved in last two-and-a-half years. The first in that list is giving India a Prime Minister, who speaks," Shah said.

"The country (earlier) got a Prime Minister whose voice could only reach the ears of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi," he added while alleging that Dr Singh was only a mouth-piece of the Congress.

The BJP president highlighted the scams, which took place in the last ten years during the Congress-led UPA regime.

"The people have not forgotten that how many scams and cases of corruption surfaced during the 10-year regime of Sonia (Gandhi) and Manmohan Singh," he said.

Shah also reached out to the voters ahead of next year's assembly polls and urged them to vote for the right party and choose the right government in Himachal Pradesh.

"If 'Congress-mukt Bharat' has to be achieved then the Congress will have to be defeated in Himachal as well," he said.

The BJP president's assertion comes a day after Prime Minister Modi countered the opposition's charges of running away from a debate on the government's move to ban high-value currency notes.

"We are ready to debate on demonetisation but I am not being allowed to speak in Lok Sabha so I am speaking in a jan sabha (public meeting)," said Prime Minister Modi.

"Parliament is not being allowed to function. What is happening in Parliament has even anguished our President, who has tremendous political experience," he added.

The ongoing Winter Session of Parliament has witnessed repeated disruptions with a united opposition demanding a debate on the demonetisation move.