No one can lamely question my public service: Manmohan to Modi on Pak meddling allegations

"I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Sh. Narender Modi," Singh said in a statement released by him on Monday.

Modi had made the allegation after former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had called him a "neech" person.

Modi, at a campaign rally in Gujarat, said Aiyar, Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistan high commissioner at a dinner in Delhi. And that the next day Aiyar had called him "neech".

Modi also talked of an appeal -- the veracity of which is still uncertain -- by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army, Sardar Arshad Rafiq, to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.

"Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly & regrettably, Sh. 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," Singh said in his statement.

It later came to light that the dinner -- hosted by Aiyar -- had also been attended by a former Indian Army chief.

I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies

In his statement, Manmohan Singh also went on to take a potshot at Modi.

"The Congress Party needs no sermons on 'Nationalism'from a party and Prime Minister whose compromised track record on fighting terrorism is well known. Let me remind Sh. Narender Modi that he had gone to Pakistan uninvited after the terrorist attacks in Udhampur and Gurdaspur. Let him also tell the country the reason for inviting the infamous ISI of Pakistan to our strategic Air Base in Pathankot to investigate a terror attack that emanated from Pakistan."

Singh added that "no one, including Shri Modi, can lamely question" his record of public service over the last five decades.

The rest of Singh's statement read:

"My track record of public service to the country over last five decades is known to everyone. No one, including Sh. Modi, can lamely question it to gain lost political ground.

I reject the innuendos and falsehoods as I did not discuss Gujarat elections with anyone else at the dinner hosted by Shri Mani Shankar Aiyar as alleged by Shri Modi. Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner. The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations. Names of the distinguished Indian public servants and journalists present at the dinner are enclosed to this statement. None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti-national activities.

I sincerely hope that 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 apologize to the Nation for his ill thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies."