Modi govt 'disastrous', PM only fears losing elections: Chidambaram

P Chidambaram said Prime Minister Narendra Modi fears only one thing--'losing elections'--and doesn't care for anything else, including his party colleagues

Calling the BJP-led central government "disastrous", senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Thursday Prime Minister Narendra Modi fears only one thing--"losing elections"--and doesn't care for anything else, including his party colleagues.

Addressing a three-day training camp for Assam Congress workers here, the former Union minister said the country is "sliding down" fast and it will be in "grave peril" if the present government continues in office.

"This is a disastrous government. To cover up its monumental failures, this government has taken recourse to religion. Another reason to take side with religion is to divide the country on religious lines to win elections," he said.

The senior Congress leader said, "Modi has no fear of anything--his party, MPs, CMs,

ministers, the president, the vice president, judges, God or anyone else.

"He fears only one thing--losing an election. Under no circumstances he wants to lose an election. I'm glad that he fears at least something. The only way to save the country is to defeat Modi in every election."

The Congress veteran said more dangers lay ahead for the country with China occupying Indian territory and building villages at the border, youth in Kashmir turning back to militancy and the economy collapsing.

Referring to the resurgence of former prime minister Indira Gandhi after the massive electoral defeat in 1977, the former Union home and finance minister asked Congress workers to be confident about winning once again.

"We also lost in 1996, 1998, 1999. In 1999, we lost to a charismatic leader, good orator and lifelong swayamsevak Atal Bihari Vajpayee. But we again won back from him in 2004 due to the hard work of Sonia Gandhi and state Congress units.

"So, I want to tell you that the last seven-and-half years should not lead to a conclusion that Narendra Modi is invincible or unbeatable. We must believe that our idea (of politics) is right and his (Modi's) wrong. If you can convince yourself, only then you will be able to convince others," he noted.