Manmohan Singh was a better finance minister than PM: BJP

Accusing the UPA government of mismanaging the economy, the BJP Friday took a jibe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, saying he was a better finance minister under former prime minister P.V. Narasimha Rao than being a prime minister.

"Manmohan Singh, who was a finance minister under Narasimha Rao, was a little more effective than Manmohan Singh as prime minister under Sonia Gandhi," said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.

He attacked the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's economic record.

"Inflation was 4 percent during NDA government. Now it is above 10 percent. Food inflation has been in double digits. Our economist prime minister's biggest failure is inflation. He has failed in managing the economy and tame prices," Javadekar said.

Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman meanwhile said government was speaking in "double tongue", when it talked about the food security bill, and then said the number of poor has reduced.

"When it comes to talking about poverty reduction, they are saying poverty have been reduced, and also that people can live with lesser amount of money. On the other hand, they are talking about maximum coverage of food security for people who are below the poverty line," she said.

"So Congress is speaking in double tongue as it suits them. When they want votes, they say people are poor, when it comes to claiming credit they say Indian economy is doing well," she said.