New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani have become the focus of a nasty argument between their parties. Each party claims its leader is stronger, and the argument is getting discourteous.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday alleged that Singh had pampered terrorists. "What was the Congress doing during the Indo-China war of 1962? I want to ask the Prime Minister who is saying that Advani was wringing his hands. What was the Congress doing with their hands then? Today also thousands of acres of Indian land is with China," said Modi at a public rally in Balasinor town of Kheada district on Tuesday.
"Even today half of Kashmir is occupied by Pakistan, what kind of strength does it show? I want to ask if the Prime Minister is kneeling down due to helplessness of Congress or is it part of your habit?" asked Modi.
Modi alleged that Singh had fed terrorists who had sieged the Charar-e-Sharif shrine in Srinagar in 1995.
"I today allege that under the Narasimha Rao government, when Manmohan Singh was finance minister, the Congress had given safe passage to five terrorists in Charar-e-Sharif of Kashmir after providing them a feast of chicken biryani for seven days".
The Chief Minister also did not spare Home Minister P Chidambaram.
"Instead of attacking Pakistan what they did was made a CD of TV footage of Mumbai attack, made a file of newspaper cutting, put them in a box and the home minister took it to the US. There they cried that our neighbour has beaten us, please help us," Modi said. "This is perfect example of helplessness of the government,” Modi said.
Gandhis hit back
In Raipur, Congress President Sonia Gandhi asked Advani to explain why had he not resigned as home minister over the Kandahar plane hijack episode in 1999.
"I want to ask Advaniji if such a big conspiracy was hatched, with terrorists being taken to Kadahar by his government without his knowledge, then why did he not resign when he came to know about the truth later?" she said at a public rally in Bilaspur.
"What he is saying is correct? Or was something else? You have to think over the issue while making up your mind for voting," said Sonia.
Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka Gandhi, the Congress’ star campaigner, rejected the BJP allegation of the country being led by a weak Prime Minister and claimed Singh was like Mahatma Gandhi.
"You cannot judge a person's strength from his external personality. Mahatma Gandhi was so gentle but was so strong from inside. Manmohan Singh is very strong and determined," said Priyanka while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh.
Back in New Delhi, the BJP claimed the Congress attack on Advani proved its desperateness.
"The orchestrated and synchronised verbal assault on LK Advani's leadership qualities and credentials by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on a single day is nothing but a clear reflection of the desperation and frustration that is now gripping the top leadership of the Congress party given the emerging ground realities in favour of the BJP and the NDA," said BJP Spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.
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