Singh hits out at PM for Pak conspiracy theory

Modi desperate, fears losing Gujarat polls: Manmohan

In a sharp counter-offensive on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “conspiracy with Pakistan” remark, former premier Manmohan Singh on Monday said he was setting a “dangerous precedent” with his “illthought transgression” and asked him to apologise to the nation.

In a strongly-worded statement, Dr Singh rejected as “innuendos and falsehoods” Mr Modi’s comments, saying he did not discuss the Gujarat Assembly elections with anyone at the dinner hosted by Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistan’s former foreign minister Kurshid Kasuri here.

“I sincerely hope that the 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.

“I sincerely hope that he will apologise to the nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies,” he said. Dr Singh said he was “deeply pained and anguished” by the “falsehood and canards” being spread to score political points by the PM.

“Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of the Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly and regrettably, Shri 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,” he alleged. Addressing an election rally in Palanpur in Gujarat on Tuesday, Mr Modi suggested that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly polls in the state.

He claimed that some Pakistani officials and Manmohan Singh met at Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar’s house over dinner on December 6. This was a day before Aiyar’s “neech” jibe against Modi that led to his suspension. Page 10: Need no lesson on nationalism: Singh

New Delhi, Dec. 11: Virtually ruling out an apology by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday charged former prime minister Manmohan Singh with defying the national line by meeting Pakistani diplomats and demanded to know the context, relevance and necessity of such a meet.

Terming the meeting as “political misadventure”, Jaitley wanted Singh and the Congress to explain the context of attending the dinner hosted by suspended party leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistani diplomats.

He said the main Opposition party is expected to follow the national policy, which states that terror and talks cannot go hand-inhand.

“Is (the) main opposition party not part of the State?” he asked.

Jaitley said that if anyone defies the national line, he should be prepared to answer questions. “It is a political misadventure, it has a political cost,” he said.

Jaitley addressed a press conference hours after Singh asked the Prime Minister to apologise to the nation for setting a “dangerous precedent”.

He wanted the former prime minister to explain what transpired at the meeting and went on to defend his government's track record of fighting terror, saying no government in the past has a track record this government has in fighting terrorism.