Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Congress, BJP lock horns over Washington Post's criticism of Manmohan Singh

New Delhi, Sep 5 (ANI): Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on Wednesday termed as unfortunate the 'Washington Post' report that has described Dr. Manmohan Singh as a silent Prime Minister, saying the government will seek an apology from the editor and publisher of the U.S. daily.

"If the Washington Post has published such a statement for our Prime Minister, then I will strongly protest ", she said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on its part said the 'Washington Post' report has now made the Prime Minister's position untenable, and added that Dr. Manmohan Singh must resign immediately.

"It has taken a long (time) for the Washington Post to realise that the Prime Minister of India does not speak, and now not speaking proves his guilt as well. The position of the Prime Minister today is untenable," said BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

"The BJP has been demanding his resignation, as an appropriate step. I hope his conscience pricks him and he decides to quit," he added.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut used the report to target the ruling UPA Government, and said the paper had reflected the view of everybody in India.

"Not just the Washington Post, but every post says so. We are also saying that the Prime Minister and his whole government are inefficient. Everyday a new scam comes to light, the government is not functioning and the common man is suffering," said Raut.

"Considering these conditions of the country, I feel that the demand for Prime Minister's resignation is right. If we need to save the country, then we will have to remove this Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh)," he added.

The Washington Post report says 'the shy, soft-spoken 79-year-old is in danger of going down in history as a failure'.

"But the image of the scrupulously honorable, humble and intellectual technocrat has slowly given way to a completely different one: a dithering, ineffectual bureaucrat presiding over a deeply corrupt government," the report says.

"Every day for the past two weeks, India's Parliament has been adjourned as the opposition bays for Singh's resignation over allegations of waste and corruption in the allocation of coal-mining concessions," it adds.

The Washington Post report also mentions Dr. Singh's 'dramatic fall from grace' in his second term.

It may be recalled here that the Time Magazine had earlier in July dubbed Dr. Manmohan Singh as an "underachiever", saying he appears "unwilling to stick his neck out" on reforms that will put the country back on the growth path.

Dr. Singh, 79, was featured on the cover of Time magazine's Asia edition. With his portrait in the background, the title on the cover read 'The Underachiever - India needs a reboot.' (ANI)

I often wonder, why was Dr Manmohan singh so successful as a finnce minister under Narsimhan Rao but has been an utter failure as a PM.

I think it is because he was able to do what he was good at without having to worry of all the bagaage behind him.

AS PM, he cannot do what he wants and he has to worry of all the baggage behind him. The baggage of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Vadera and Robert Vadera, her husband. The poor man must be having to watch every step of his for fear of displeasing the FAMILY.

It remids me of the Sicilian "Godfather" family. Well after all Sicily is just at the foot of Italy where this family is coming from.

The credit for any good work done by the UPA (which is very seldom) is taken by the family.Like in the last parliamentary elections.

Any losses are attributed to unknown forces, the Muslim Votes, like the UP elections. Rahul did not take any blame although he was completely involved with it.

Even there they looked for scapegoats but could not find any.

What angers me is that in our population of 2.2 billion, the congress party cannot find anyone to lead the congress. They have to fall back on the family who themselves are foreigners.

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