Ex-PM Singh says govt diluting polity

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday accused the Modi government of "slowly but surely" undermining the values that a democratic polity should fiercely protect and called for a meaningful national debate on it as also the failure of the ruling dispensation in fulfiling its promises.

Releasing a book titled “Shades of Truth” by former Union Minister and Congress leader Kapil Sibal, he said he hoped this is the beginning of the national debate that everyone needs.

In a scathing indictment of the Modi dispensation, Singh said key national institutions vital for good governance are experiencing unprecedented new strains, India's neighbourhood is far less secured than it was in 2014 and its ties with neighbours have deteriorated in the last four years.

"Women, Dalits and minorities are increasingly living in an environment of insecurity," he said, adding that nothing concrete has been done to bring back the promised billions of dollars allegedlyheld abroad as black money.

“Academic freedom is sought to be curbed, the environment in our universities is being vitiated. All this is a powerful indictment on the Modi government's performance and there has to be a meaningful national debate on issues raised by Kapil Sibal,” he added.

Singh said the book is a highly researched subject and a comprehensive analysis on the functioning of the Modi government in the last four years.

“It highlights the failures of the Modi government to fulfiling important promises made to the people ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in 2014,” he said.