LS polls: BJP says Manmohan Singh's remarks on PM Modi 'laughable'

The BJP on Thursday termed Manmohan Singh's remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi "laughable" and said that despite having quit active politics, the former PM has not given up his habit of misleading the people of the country.

In a letter to voters of Punjab ahead of the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha polls on June 1, Manmohan Singh accused Modi of lowering the dignity of public discourse and the gravity of the office of the prime minister by giving "hateful speeches" during the election campaign.

He also accused Modi of attributing some false statements to him.

Hitting back, BJP national spokesperson R P Singh said in a post on X, "The nonsense that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has stated suddenly in his letter on the last day of the Lok Sabha election campaign is not only laughable but it also does not suit the person who held the post of country's prime minister."

"It seems that Dr Manmohan Singh, even after taking 'sanyas' from active politics, has not yet given up his habit of misleading people of the country," he said.

On the former PM's remark that Modi has lowered the dignity of the prime minister's post, R K Singh said, "India's name is ringing across the world today. We saw a glimpse of it at the G-20 meeting last year."

However, people have not forgotten that during Manmohan Singh's term as prime minister, there was allegedly a post of "super PM", he said.

"And foreign dignitaries visiting the country used to like to meet this super PM only," he charged.

On the former PM's assertion that he never targeted any community, R K Singh said, "The truth is that it was Manmohan Singh who said twice that Muslims have the first right on the resources of this country."

He also hit out at Manmohan Singh over his charge that India's economy has witnessed "unimaginable turmoil" in the past 10 years, saying, "During your term, the Indian economy was in fragile five."

"Today it is among the top five (economies). The country has witnessed about a three-fold increase as compared to your term. India is today the fastest growing economy in the world," R K Singh said.