PM's compromised record on fighting terrorism well-known: Manmohan Singh

New Delhi: A bitter political slugfest broke out on Monday over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim that Congress leaders, including Manmohan Singh, were colluding with Pakistan for the Gujarat polls.

In an unusually sharp rebuke, former Prime Minister Dr Singh issued a statement saying that he was “deeply pained and anguished” by the “falsehood and canards being spread to score political points by none less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi” and demanded an apology. Congress’ president-elect Rahul Gandhi threw his weight behind Dr Singh and said that during his campaign rallies, Prime Minister keeps talking about Pakistan, China and Japan, but never speaks about Gujarat itself.  

In response, the BJP put together a hurried defence with finance minister Arun Jaitley saying the meeting, which was attended by senior Congress leaders, was a “misadventure” and why should the Prime Minister apologise for flagging it.

Mr Modi had, at an election rally on Sunday, insinuated that at the behest of the Congress, Pakistan was trying to influence the Gujarat Assembly polls.

“(On one hand) Pakistan Army’s former DG is interfering in Gujarat’s election, on the other, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house,” PM Modi had said. He alleged that a day after the dinner, Mr Aiyar targeted him with the “neech” slur.

In his scathing response, Dr Singh, while listing the names of people who attended the dinner at suspended Congress leader Mani Shakar Aiyar’s residence on December 6, said none of the guests can be accused of being anti-national and working against the interests of the country.

The former Prime Minister also said that he did not discuss Gujarat elections with anybody at the dinner.

“I sincerely hope that he (the Prime Minister) will apologise to the nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies. I sincerely hope that Prime Minister will show the maturity and gravitas expected of the high office he holds instead of concentrating his energy solely on erroneously conceived brownie points,” Dr Singh said in his statement.

Dr Singh also said, “I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, the desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly and regrettably, Sh. Modi is setting a dangerous precedent by his insatiable desire to tarnish every constitutional office, including that of a former Prime Minister and Army Chief”.

Dr Singh added the names those who attended the dinner hosted in honour of the visiting former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri at Mr Aiyar’s residence. The guests included the Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood, Natwar Singh, K.S. Bajpai, Ajai Shukla, Sharad Sabharwal, Gen. Deepak Kapoor, T.C.A. Raghavan, Satinder K. Lambah, M.K. Bhadrakumar, C.R. Gharekhan, Prem Shankar Jha, Salman Haider and Rahul Khushwant Singh.

The former Prime Minister said that none of the guests can be accused of indulging in any anti-national activities.

Raising the pitch, Dr Singh also said that the Congress Party needed no sermons on “nationalism” from a party and Prime Minister whose “compromised track record on fighting terrorism” was well known.

He reminded Mr Modi of his “uninvited” visit to Pakistan after terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. “Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan,” Dr Singh questioned.

In the same vein, Mr Gandhi, who was campaigning on the penultimate day before second phase polling in Gujarat, took a dig at Mr Modi asking why was the Prime Minister silent on the company promoted by BJP president Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah.

“Now, Modiji speaks about Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Japan. Modiji, this is the election about the future of Gujarat. Please say something about Gujarat also,” he said.

The Prime Minister, he added, was frequently changing his campaign plank in Gujarat. “First it was the Narmada water, but after farmers started saying it has not reached their fields, Modi changed tack and began speaking about OBC issues. When that also did not find favour with people, he went for development issues but people punctured it,” Mr Gandhi said.

Disgruntled BJP leader Shatrughan Sinha also attacked the PM in a tweet: “Just to win elections anyhow, and that too at the fag end of the process, is it a must to come up with and endorse new, unsubstantiated and unbelievable stories everyday against political opponents? Now linking them to Pak High Commissioner and Generals?! Incredible!”

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said that Mr Modi’s campaign in Gujrata had gone “beyond bizarre” and wondered whether winning an election was so important that such allegations can be made against a former Prime Minister and a former Vice-President.

Mr Lambah, among the guests at the dinner, said he never commented on private dinners, but added there was a general discussion on Indo-Pak relations.

Mr Gharekhan, another former diplomat, said, “…nobody, if I recall... I am hundred per cent sure that, not a single person, talked about Gujarat elections or anything about the present situation... Or for that matter, the present situation in Pakistan”.

Former Army Chief Gen. Kapoor said Gujarat elections were never discussed at the dinner meeting. However, Mr Jaitely, rejecting Dr Singh’s demand for an apology from the Prime Minister, asked the Congress to make details of the meet public.

“Why should the PM apologise for Congress’ misadventures. Congress must come out with detailed facts what transpired in that meeting and what was the necessity of having it in present circumstances,” he said.

The finance minister said that on Sunday the Congress was in denial about the meeting, and on Monday, instead of accepting it as a misadventure, was trying to blame those raising the issue.