BJP hits back at Manmohan

Reacting strongly to Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs comment on its prime ministerial candidate L K Advani,the BJP...

Reacting strongly to Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs comment on its prime ministerial candidate L K Advani,the BJP on Friday said that the PM was making a virtue of his weakness as an orator and that it was only a visible sign of frustration. The BJP also said that whether its economy or security,India today is weaker than what it was in 2004.

The Prime Minister wants to be a survivor by inaction. His comments on L K Advani are a visible sign of frustration. Dr Singh became the Prime Minister by default and now he is making a virtue of his weakness as an orator, said BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley,responding to the PMs statements. He is just a lucky politician. He cannot lead a campaign. He has never won an election and there is no possibility of his winning one now, he added.

Continuing in the same vein,the BJP leader said: It is good that Manmohan Singh has finally admitted that the country needs a strong leader. The achievement of the Prime Minister who is known to be a great economist is that he inherited a booming economy from Vajpayee and now,he is leaving the country in debt. On charges that the BJPs PM candidate had no economic policy,Jaitley said that while Advani talks of giving more money to families and individuals,the UPA and Manmohan Singh believes in high taxes and waste.

Jaitley took exception to the PMs comments on the Vajpayee regimes handling of terrorism and said that as many as 67 cities had been hit at will by terrorists in recent years. In Mumbai,terrorists held the whole nation to ransom while the government was helpless and the only response of the UPA was to find fault with intelligence agencies and defence forces, Jaitley said.

It was the Left and then the Samajwadi Party that tripped the Government. No effective decisions are being taken. But a PM must have the ability to lead and direct a campaign, added the BJP general secretary.

Advanis political advisor,Sudheendra Kulkarni,on the other hand,called Singhs observations arrogant. This entire debate is taking place in the run-up to the Lok Sabha election. The Congress has projected him as the PM candidate. But Dr Singh has not presented himself as a Lok Sabha candidate. Its amusing to see Dr Singh comparing himself to Indira Gandhi. Indira Gandhi got herself elected to the Lok Sabha. Dr Singh had a full five years to get himself elected to the LS,but he,or his party,clearly chose otherwise, said Kulkarni.

BJP spokesman Prakash Javdekar said Singh has now chosen to attack Advaniji by words because in deeds,he has failed miserably. Manmohan Singh as a Finance Minister under Narasimha Rao was much more effective than as a PM under Sonia Gandhi. We have already challenged him for a comprehensive debate which he is refusing8230;, he said.