Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said that India is destined to be a major powerhouse of the global economy despite difficulty and hurdles.
Taking a dig at his critics for calling him a silent prime minister, Singh said he was never afraid of talking to the media and rather interacted with the press very regularly.
He also revealed that he was not only an "accidental prime minister" but also an "accidental finance minister" of the country as the post was denied by I G Patel, the former RBI Governor and his immediate predecessor in the RBI.
Singh was made the finance minister in 1991 by the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, who is credited for changing the course of the Indian economy and bringing in market liberalisation.
The former prime minister said that no government could change the course of the economy and broadly followed the path set by him as a finance minister in the Narasimha Rao-led government.
Speaking at the launch of his 6 volume book series called 'Changing India', Singh said "despite all the hiccups and hurdles, I have no doubt that India will get its action right. Despite the difficulty that may be on the horizon, this country is destined to be a major powerhouse of the global economy."
About criticism of being the silent prime minister, Singh said, "I think these volumes speak for themselves and I don't want to boast about achievements as prime minister but the events that took place are well described in these volumes, particularly in the volume that deal with 'Prime Minister Speaks'."
To Rao's response, Manmohan Singh said, "I did not take him seriously."
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