The Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Constitution and the dignity of his office by not acting against those behind &quot;conspiracy with Pakistan&quot;, a charge he made against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign.

It said Modi should at least clarify his remark which he allegedly used to &quot;win&quot; the Gujarat election, saying had it been Atal Behari Vajpayee as prime minister, he could have apologised 10 times.

The party also alleged that Modi was trying to break the country and blemish the image of his predecessor. It earlier demanded an apology from the prime minister.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>If you had proof, you should have lodged an FIR against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and arrested him. You are tarnishing his image and questioning his nationalism&#39;</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=If you had proof, you should have lodged an FIR against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and arrested him. You are tarnishing his image and questioning his nationalism'" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

The Congress earlier created an uproar in both the Houses of Parliament and disrupted proceedings. While the day&#39;s work in the Rajya Sabha was washed out, its members in the Lok Sabha staged a walkout and boycotted the lower house post- lunch.

&quot;The prime minister is trying to break the country and blemish the image of good peple,&quot; senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters outside Parliament.

He said if the prime minister had information about a &quot;secret meeting&quot; between senior Congress leaders and the Pakistan envoy and its ex- foreign minister which was &quot;anti- national&quot;, then why did he not use the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies at his disposal.

&quot;If the prime minister had proof, why did he not take the services of intelligence agencies if there was something anti-national. He has thereby violated the oath of secrecy he has taken...If it was not in the nation&#39;s interest and was anti-national, then you have violated the Constitution and the &#39;maryada&#39; (dignity) of office,&quot; he alleged.

The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said opposition parties have demanded that the prime minister clarifies the serious allegation he made during the Gujarat election about a &quot;secret&quot; meeting between the Pakistan envoy and an ex-foreign minister and Manmohan Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari and an ex-Indian Army chief.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections</a>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/its-a-cock-and-bull-story-former-pakistan-minister-on-pm-modis-colluding-claims-26660" target="_blank">Kasuri rejects PM Modi&#39;s claim of Pakistan meddling in Gujarat elections</a>

&quot;When the country?s prime minister publicly accuses Manmohan Singh of conspiring with Pakistan then it is a very serious allegation and he should clarify.

&quot;If he has a problem in seeking an apology, then the prime minister should say that to win the Gujarat election he threw a stunt, a &quot;gola&quot; (ball). It is acceptable to us,&quot; he said.

Azad said had Vajpayee been there (as prime minister), &quot;he would have apologised 10 times. It depends on who is the prime minister&quot;.

&quot;If the prime minister is taking his words back, we will accept that too. Then he need not apologise. He should only say that he said it to win the Gujarat election,&quot; he said.

Azad said Modi should state in Parliament that the BJP was losing in Gujarat and it had no other option but to &quot;concoct&quot; the story of &quot;conspiracy with Pakistan&quot;, seek public sympathy and portray Congress leaders as anti-national.

&quot;Let the prime minister say and admit that his job is done and now the BJP has won the election, hence I take back my words. We will accept that. The one who has levelled allegations, should explain. If there is truth in his allegations, the people concerned be punished. We are ready for it,&quot; he said.

&quot;It is the culture of the BJP to abuse, call people anti-national, beat them, fire bullets at them. This has become an order of the day,&quot; he alleged.

&quot;There is only one way in a democracy and that is Parliament. The prime minister and the former prime minister, who is facing the allegation, both are members of Parliament,&quot; he said, adding that Modi should clarify in Parliament.&nbsp;

The conspiracy charge had been made against former prime minister Manmohan Singh

The Congress today accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Constitution and the dignity of his office by not acting against those behind "conspiracy with Pakistan", a charge he made against his predecessor Manmohan Singh during the Gujarat poll campaign. It said Modi should at least clarify his remark which he allegedly used to "win" the Gujarat election, saying had it been Atal Behari Vajpayee as prime minister, he could have apologised 10 times. The party also alleged that Modi was trying to break the country and blemish the image of his predecessor. It earlier demanded an apology from the prime minister. If you had proof, you should have lodged an FIR against former prime minister Manmohan Singh and arrested him. You are tarnishing his image and questioning his nationalism' × The Congress earlier created an uproar in both the Houses of Parliament and disrupted proceedings. While the day's work in the Rajya Sabha was washed out, its members in the Lok Sabha staged a walkout and boycotted the lower house post- lunch. "The prime minister is trying to break the country and blemish the image of good peple," senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters outside Parliament. He said if the prime minister had information about a "secret meeting" between senior Congress leaders and the Pakistan envoy and its ex- foreign minister which was "anti- national", then why did he not use the Intelligence Bureau and other agencies at his disposal. "If the prime minister had proof, why did he not take the services of intelligence agencies if there was something anti-national. He has thereby violated the oath of secrecy he has taken...If it was not in the nation's interest and was anti-national, then you have violated the Constitution and the 'maryada' (dignity) of office," he alleged. The Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said opposition parties have demanded that the prime minister clarifies the serious allegation he made during the Gujarat election about a "secret" meeting between the Pakistan envoy and an ex-foreign minister and Manmohan Singh, former vice president Hamid Ansari and an ex-Indian Army chief. Also read: Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections Also read: Kasuri rejects PM Modi's claim of Pakistan meddling in Gujarat elections "When the country?s prime minister publicly accuses Manmohan Singh of conspiring with Pakistan then it is a very serious allegation and he should clarify. "If he has a problem in seeking an apology, then the prime minister should say that to win the Gujarat election he threw a stunt, a "gola" (ball). It is acceptable to us," he said. Azad said had Vajpayee been there (as prime minister), "he would have apologised 10 times. It depends on who is the prime minister". "If the prime minister is taking his words back, we will accept that too. Then he need not apologise. He should only say that he said it to win the Gujarat election," he said. Azad said Modi should state in Parliament that the BJP was losing in Gujarat and it had no other option but to "concoct" the story of "conspiracy with Pakistan", seek public sympathy and portray Congress leaders as anti-national. "Let the prime minister say and admit that his job is done and now the BJP has won the election, hence I take back my words. We will accept that. The one who has levelled allegations, should explain. If there is truth in his allegations, the people concerned be punished. We are ready for it," he said. "It is the culture of the BJP to abuse, call people anti-national, beat them, fire bullets at them. This has become an order of the day," he alleged. "There is only one way in a democracy and that is Parliament. The prime minister and the former prime minister, who is facing the allegation, both are members of Parliament," he said, adding that Modi should clarify in Parliament.

PM violated Constitution by not acting against those behind 'conspiracy with Pak': Congress

The government and opposition will discuss Prime Minister Modi&#39;s remarks on Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

The upper house had been repeatedly adjourned on Monday with the opposition demanding an apology for the remarks.&nbsp;

And the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manmohan-singh-reiterates-pain-and-anguish-in-video-26668">Pakistan meddling in Gujarat allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video </a>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/paks-dig-at-pm-modi-india-should-stop-dragging-pakistan-into-electoral-debate-says-pakistan-foreign-ministry-26433">Win Gujarat election on own strength, stop dragging us: Pakistan hits back after PM Modi&#39;s jibe </a>

After the impasse, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu said he met informally with the opposition and treasury benches to figure out a way forward.&nbsp;

At the meeting, it was decided that the issue would be discussed in the Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the opposition that the government was open to discussion.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manmohan-to-pm-find-more-dignified-ways-to-seek-votes-25699">Manmohan to PM, find &#39;more dignified ways&#39; to seek votes</a>

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.&nbsp;

Azad said a question mark had been placed on the dignity of the prime minister.&nbsp;

He also demanded Prime Minister Modi&#39;s presence to explain the allegations.&nbsp;

Media reports said Tuesday that Manmohan had met Naidu personally and told him about the allegations.&nbsp;

Modi had, while campaigning in Gujarat, said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/narendra-modi-questions-aiyars-meeting-with-pak-high-commissioner-26372">Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat </a>

Modi had while campaigning in Gujarat said Congress leaders including former prime minister Manmohan Singh had met with Pakistani leaders and discussed the Gujarat elections

The government and opposition will discuss Prime Minister Modi's remarks on Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha. The upper house had been repeatedly adjourned on Monday with the opposition demanding an apology for the remarks. And the Congress walked out of the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Also read: Pakistan meddling in Gujarat allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video Also read: Win Gujarat election on own strength, stop dragging us: Pakistan hits back after PM Modi's jibe After the impasse, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu said he met informally with the opposition and treasury benches to figure out a way forward. At the meeting, it was decided that the issue would be discussed in the Rajya Sabha. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly also assured the opposition that the government was open to discussion. Also read: Manmohan to PM, find 'more dignified ways' to seek votes The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha by Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad said a question mark had been placed on the dignity of the prime minister. He also demanded Prime Minister Modi's presence to explain the allegations. Media reports said Tuesday that Manmohan had met Naidu personally and told him about the allegations. Modi had, while campaigning in Gujarat, said Manmohan Singh, former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistani high commissioner and former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and discussed the Gujarat elections. Also read: Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat

Government, opposition to discuss Modi remarks on Manmohan in RS

Grace is the word for Sonia Gandhi. Good or bad, in&nbsp;success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician. A person who guarded her privacy with fierce intensity and also worked tirelessly to ensure that the role of Nehru-Gandhi family remains intact within the Congress and in public memory. She implemented seminal legislations like MNREGA, Right to Information and food which catered to the poorest and empowered the middle class. On the other hand, she willingly accommodated all the little dynasties within and outside her party like a social network, meshing political with personal.

Her approach towards secularism and economy remained Nehruvian but still allowed Manmohan Singh to go ahead with radical steps like Nuclear deal with America where Congress had to work hard to ensure that the government doesn&rsquo;t fall. She balanced her social commitment with a neo-liberal economic approach of Manmohan Singh who opened Indian economy to the world.

The beauty of Sonia Gandhi lies in her contradictions which she wore very gracefully. After taking over the reign of the Congress&nbsp;she behaved like dowagers, ensuring that top position remains warm for her son Rahul. It did not mean that she did not accommodate the others. She did. Not only she shared power unlike Indira Gandhi but also allowed them to exercise it. The best example is her Political Secretary Ahmad Patel who virtually ran the party for her.

She remained committed to environmental causes like Indira Gandhi. Her focus remained on poor, marginal labourer, farmers and tribals. Many laws enacted during her tenure earned her the wrath of the powerful industrial lobby which eventually sided with Narendra Modi. She almost got labelled as anti-industry and Manmohan Singh had to face the brunt of it. In fact, the downside of her legacy is the institution of the Prime Minister got weak in her tenure. The emergence and assertion of Rahul Gandhi and her own National Advisory Council became the tool by the Opposition to ram Manmohan Singh as an ineffective politician. No one tried to break this image which ultimately harmed Gandhi&rsquo;s more than Manmohan Singh.

It still remains a mystery as to how she allowed Congress to commit hara-kiri by mishandling Telangana issue. Today Congress remains pariah in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The burden of carrying Raja into the ministry despite Manmohan Singh will fall on Sonia&rsquo;s shoulder and not on Manmohan Singh. She was consensus maker but failed to understand the power of d&eacute;tente when the face of the enemy changed. She brought Congress to power twice but failed to build the party apparatus which got tuned to riding to power on sympathy surge.

At a personal level, Sonia&rsquo;s cold fury would be missed by many. It remained her style.

Another of her big achievement was that she ended the isolation of the Congress Party. She broke the paradigm of the 70s. She understood that Congress will not be able to match BJP&rsquo;s Hindutva either in soft or hard form, therefore, she built alliances with regional parties who also felt threatened.

She builds bridges across parties including DMK, which allowed her to form the first Congress government after 1996. She managed a galaxy of leaders like Pranab Mukherji to Natwar Singh to Madhav Rao Scindhia to Sharad Pawar during her tenure. Later the very gravitas at the top and inherited squabble between them damaged the Congress. Sonia failed to control them.

She also failed to see the hardening of the Hindu sentiment against the Congress and the cultured surrounding of Sonia came to be perceived as elitist. Perhaps her political nuance became dated. Modi was an outsider and she immediately became a quintessential insider.

She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account nor she is on Facebook. Despite being in public, Sonia Gandhi&rsquo;s influence on 10 years of UPA continues to remain hidden. Most of her correspondence with important functionaries are in public domain. It would be of great interest how she shaped policy in conversations. But all said and done, in her beauty and ugliness, in her great achievement and failure, she remained a graceful politician. Grace defines her.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account or Facebook account. Good or bad, in success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician

Grace is the word for Sonia Gandhi. Good or bad, in success or in failure, Sonia Gandhi would be remembered as a graceful politician. A person who guarded her privacy with fierce intensity and also worked tirelessly to ensure that the role of Nehru-Gandhi family remains intact within the Congress and in public memory. She implemented seminal legislations like MNREGA, Right to Information and food which catered to the poorest and empowered the middle class. On the other hand, she willingly accommodated all the little dynasties within and outside her party like a social network, meshing political with personal. Her approach towards secularism and economy remained Nehruvian but still allowed Manmohan Singh to go ahead with radical steps like Nuclear deal with America where Congress had to work hard to ensure that the government doesn’t fall. She balanced her social commitment with a neo-liberal economic approach of Manmohan Singh who opened Indian economy to the world. The beauty of Sonia Gandhi lies in her contradictions which she wore very gracefully. After taking over the reign of the Congress she behaved like dowagers, ensuring that top position remains warm for her son Rahul. It did not mean that she did not accommodate the others. She did. Not only she shared power unlike Indira Gandhi but also allowed them to exercise it. The best example is her Political Secretary Ahmad Patel who virtually ran the party for her. She remained committed to environmental causes like Indira Gandhi. Her focus remained on poor, marginal labourer, farmers and tribals. Many laws enacted during her tenure earned her the wrath of the powerful industrial lobby which eventually sided with Narendra Modi. She almost got labelled as anti-industry and Manmohan Singh had to face the brunt of it. In fact, the downside of her legacy is the institution of the Prime Minister got weak in her tenure. The emergence and assertion of Rahul Gandhi and her own National Advisory Council became the tool by the Opposition to ram Manmohan Singh as an ineffective politician. No one tried to break this image which ultimately harmed Gandhi’s more than Manmohan Singh. It still remains a mystery as to how she allowed Congress to commit hara-kiri by mishandling Telangana issue. Today Congress remains pariah in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The burden of carrying Raja into the ministry despite Manmohan Singh will fall on Sonia’s shoulder and not on Manmohan Singh. She was consensus maker but failed to understand the power of détente when the face of the enemy changed. She brought Congress to power twice but failed to build the party apparatus which got tuned to riding to power on sympathy surge. At a personal level, Sonia’s cold fury would be missed by many. It remained her style. Another of her big achievement was that she ended the isolation of the Congress Party. She broke the paradigm of the 70s. She understood that Congress will not be able to match BJP’s Hindutva either in soft or hard form, therefore, she built alliances with regional parties who also felt threatened. She builds bridges across parties including DMK, which allowed her to form the first Congress government after 1996. She managed a galaxy of leaders like Pranab Mukherji to Natwar Singh to Madhav Rao Scindhia to Sharad Pawar during her tenure. Later the very gravitas at the top and inherited squabble between them damaged the Congress. Sonia failed to control them. She also failed to see the hardening of the Hindu sentiment against the Congress and the cultured surrounding of Sonia came to be perceived as elitist. Perhaps her political nuance became dated. Modi was an outsider and she immediately became a quintessential insider. She also belonged to a different era. Even today, she does not have a twitter account nor she is on Facebook. Despite being in public, Sonia Gandhi’s influence on 10 years of UPA continues to remain hidden. Most of her correspondence with important functionaries are in public domain. It would be of great interest how she shaped policy in conversations. But all said and done, in her beauty and ugliness, in her great achievement and failure, she remained a graceful politician. Grace defines her. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: An era ends, Sonia Gandhi, a graceful politician

Citing email exchanges between Congress president-elect and former union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan, the BJP said Wednesday that Manmohan Singh was &quot;just a titular head&quot; of the UPA.&nbsp;

&quot;Email exchanges between Rahul Gandhi and Jayanthi Natarajan show that all decisions were directly taken by the family and PM Manmohan Singh was just a titular head,&quot; Union Minister&nbsp;Piyush Goyal said.

&quot;We have accessed email in which Jayanti Natarajan when UPA minister was even willing to go home to meet personal secretary of Rahul Gandhi. This was how people not a part of government interfered in governance during UPA,&quot; Goyal added.&nbsp;

A long and bitter campaign -- accompanied by a number of startling accusations -- for the Gujarat elections came to a close on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;

Also&nbsp;read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections</a>

A second and final phase of polling in Gujarat will be held tomorrow, and the results will be announced on December 18.&nbsp;

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has since responded most strongly to the accusations, but that did not stop the BJP on Wednesday.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-one-can-lamely-question-my-public-service-manmohan-to-modi-on-pak-meddling-allegations-26463" target="_blank">No one can lamely question my public service: Manmohan to Modi on Pak meddling allegations</a>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/manmohan-singh-reiterates-pain-and-anguish-in-video-26668">Pakistan meddling allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video</a>

Goyal also accused Gandhi of being &quot;willing to kill jobs in Gujarat to hurt development agenda&quot;:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Rahul Gandhi opposed Nirma project &amp; instructed Jayanti Natarajan to not give environmental clearance. Was willing to kill jobs in Gujarat to undermine to hurt development agenda of Narendra Modi: Piyush Goyal,Union Minister <a href="https://t.co/0QMswD6Shp">pic.twitter.com/0QMswD6Shp</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940945493294641153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/at-vadnagar-tea-tales-by-trackless-station-and-lack-of-jobs-26588" target="_blank">At Vadnagar, tea tales by trackless station and lack of jobs</a>

&quot;In UPA, how projects were stalled and environment ministry was used is evident in the email,&quot; Goyal said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

'Email exchanges between Rahul Gandhi and Jayanthi Natarajan show that all decisions were directly taken by the family and PM Manmohan Singh was just a titular head,' Union Minister?Piyush Goyal said

Citing email exchanges between Congress president-elect and former union environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan, the BJP said Wednesday that Manmohan Singh was "just a titular head" of the UPA. "Email exchanges between Rahul Gandhi and Jayanthi Natarajan show that all decisions were directly taken by the family and PM Manmohan Singh was just a titular head," Union Minister Piyush Goyal said. "We have accessed email in which Jayanti Natarajan when UPA minister was even willing to go home to meet personal secretary of Rahul Gandhi. This was how people not a part of government interfered in governance during UPA," Goyal added. A long and bitter campaign -- accompanied by a number of startling accusations -- for the Gujarat elections came to a close on Tuesday evening. Also read: Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections A second and final phase of polling in Gujarat will be held tomorrow, and the results will be announced on December 18. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has since responded most strongly to the accusations, but that did not stop the BJP on Wednesday. No one can lamely question my public service: Manmohan to Modi on Pak meddling allegations Pakistan meddling allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video Goyal also accused Gandhi of being "willing to kill jobs in Gujarat to hurt development agenda": Rahul Gandhi opposed Nirma project & instructed Jayanti Natarajan to not give environmental clearance. Was willing to kill jobs in Gujarat to undermine to hurt development agenda of Narendra Modi: Piyush Goyal,Union Minister pic.twitter.com/0QMswD6Shp — ANI (@ANI) December 13, 2017 × Also read: At Vadnagar, tea tales by trackless station and lack of jobs "In UPA, how projects were stalled and environment ministry was used is evident in the email," Goyal said.

Citing email exchanges, BJP says Manmohan 'just a titular head' of UPA

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-one-can-lamely-question-my-public-service-manmohan-to-modi-on-pak-meddling-allegations-26463">A day after his statement</a> dismissing Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s allegation that he had conspired with Pakistani guests to interfere in the Gujarat elections, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated his words in a video.

Earlier in the day, the two leaders briefly shook hands at an event in New Delhi to to pay homage to the victims of the 2001 Parliament attack.

&quot;I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehoods and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none other than prime minister Shri Narendra Modi. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, the desperation of prime minister to hurl every abuse and to 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,&quot; reiterated the former prime minister in the video.

&nbsp;At a campaign rally in Gujarat, PM Modi had said that Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistan high commissioner at a dinner in Delhi where they had colluded with Pakistani guests to interfere in the Gujarat elections. 
&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, the two leaders briefly shook hands at an event in New Delhi to pay homage to the victims of the 2001 Parliament attack

A day after his statement dismissing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that he had conspired with Pakistani guests to interfere in the Gujarat elections, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated his words in a video. Earlier in the day, the two leaders briefly shook hands at an event in New Delhi to to pay homage to the victims of the 2001 Parliament attack. "I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehoods and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none other than prime minister Shri Narendra Modi. Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, the desperation of prime minister to hurl every abuse and to 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," reiterated the former prime minister in the video. At a campaign rally in Gujarat, PM Modi had said that Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manmohan Singh and former vice-president Hamid Ansari had met with the Pakistan high commissioner at a dinner in Delhi where they had colluded with Pakistani guests to interfere in the Gujarat elections.

Pakistan meddling in Gujarat allegation: Manmohan Singh reiterates pain and anguish in video

Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s allegation against his predecessor Manmohan Singh over the Gujarat polls drew more condemnation today with NCP chief Sharad Pawar telling him &quot;shame on you&quot; and Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi calling it unacceptable.

Key BJP ally Shiv Sena also launched a sharp attack on Modi, saying that dragging Pakistan into Gujarat election campaign was an &quot;impious&quot; way of trying to win the polls.

The prime minister at a poll rally in Gujarat&nbsp;on Sunday&nbsp;sought to link a dinner meeting hosted by suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistan dignitaries and attended by Manmohan Singh among others with the ongoing Assembly polls and a conspiracy against the BJP.

Modi had insinuated that his predecessor had colluded with Pakistan for BJP&#39;s defeat at the polls. The former premier responded by saying Modi was setting a &quot;dangerous precedent&quot; and asked him to apologise to the nation, a demand rejected by the union government.

Pawar criticised Modi for &quot;deliberately&quot; misconstruing the dinner meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s residence on December 6 and presenting it as a conspiracy by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls.

The meeting took place a day before Aiyar&#39;s &quot;neech aadmi&quot;(lowly person) jibe against Modi that led to his suspension from the party.

&quot;Shame on you, Prime Minister for making such allegations. You have made the allegations against this country&#39;s former prime minister and former Defence officials,&quot; Pawar, a former Defence minister, said.

&quot;Modi&#39;s government has not solved issues of farmers and other issues the country faces, but he is bringing the Pakistan angle as a diversionary tactic for Gujarat elections,&quot; Pawar said at a public rally -- &#39;Halla Bol&#39; -- organised by the Congress and the NCP in Nagpur on issues relating to agrarian crisis.

Modi has demeaned the office of the prime minister, Pawar alleged.

Rahul Gandhi hit out at the prime minister for his remarks against Manmohan Singh while addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad on the final day of campaigning for the Assembly polls.

&quot;What Modiji has said about former PM Manmohan Singh is not acceptable,&quot; he said.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece &#39;Saamana&#39;, the Shiv Sena said a prime minister is supposed to take action and not level allegations.

&quot;Prime Minister Modi has levelled a serious charge that Pakistan is interfering in Gujarat polls. We can understand the worries of Modi but a PM is supposed to take action and not level allegations.

&quot;Gujarat has become even more important than Kashmir. Until yesterday, Pakistan was interfering in Kashmir and China was interfering in Leh, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh,&quot; it said.

Nowadays, in all elections, either Pakistan or fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is brought at the forefront, the Sena quipped.

&quot;When sand below the feet starts moving, Pakistan and Dawood chanting begins. It is happening today as well. This is an impious way,&quot; it said.

The Sena further said that even in Bihar polls, BJP&#39;s national president had brought in Pakistan. Despite he saying that crackers will be burst in Pakistan if Nitish Kumar wins, the latter decimated the BJP, it said.

If the prime minister had all the details of the meet at Aiyar&#39;s house and knew the meeting was to undertake anti- national activities, why did he only level allegations and why were all those present at the meeting not arrested and an inquiry conducted, it asked.

&quot;Why are allegations levelled only in election rallies? If an interference from Pakistan is happening, let the Indian Army enter that country and take action, the Sena suggested.

&quot;The country expects Modi to work. How many times will you chant Pakistan&#39;s name?&quot;&nbsp;

Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi called the remarks unacceptable

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation against his predecessor Manmohan Singh over the Gujarat polls drew more condemnation today with NCP chief Sharad Pawar telling him "shame on you" and Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi calling it unacceptable. Key BJP ally Shiv Sena also launched a sharp attack on Modi, saying that dragging Pakistan into Gujarat election campaign was an "impious" way of trying to win the polls. The prime minister at a poll rally in Gujarat on Sunday sought to link a dinner meeting hosted by suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar for Pakistan dignitaries and attended by Manmohan Singh among others with the ongoing Assembly polls and a conspiracy against the BJP. Modi had insinuated that his predecessor had colluded with Pakistan for BJP's defeat at the polls. The former premier responded by saying Modi was setting a "dangerous precedent" and asked him to apologise to the nation, a demand rejected by the union government. Pawar criticised Modi for "deliberately" misconstruing the dinner meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence on December 6 and presenting it as a conspiracy by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls. The meeting took place a day before Aiyar's "neech aadmi"(lowly person) jibe against Modi that led to his suspension from the party. "Shame on you, Prime Minister for making such allegations. You have made the allegations against this country's former prime minister and former Defence officials," Pawar, a former Defence minister, said. "Modi's government has not solved issues of farmers and other issues the country faces, but he is bringing the Pakistan angle as a diversionary tactic for Gujarat elections," Pawar said at a public rally -- 'Halla Bol' -- organised by the Congress and the NCP in Nagpur on issues relating to agrarian crisis. Modi has demeaned the office of the prime minister, Pawar alleged. Rahul Gandhi hit out at the prime minister for his remarks against Manmohan Singh while addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad on the final day of campaigning for the Assembly polls. "What Modiji has said about former PM Manmohan Singh is not acceptable," he said. In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Shiv Sena said a prime minister is supposed to take action and not level allegations. "Prime Minister Modi has levelled a serious charge that Pakistan is interfering in Gujarat polls. We can understand the worries of Modi but a PM is supposed to take action and not level allegations. "Gujarat has become even more important than Kashmir. Until yesterday, Pakistan was interfering in Kashmir and China was interfering in Leh, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh," it said. Nowadays, in all elections, either Pakistan or fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is brought at the forefront, the Sena quipped. "When sand below the feet starts moving, Pakistan and Dawood chanting begins. It is happening today as well. This is an impious way," it said. The Sena further said that even in Bihar polls, BJP's national president had brought in Pakistan. Despite he saying that crackers will be burst in Pakistan if Nitish Kumar wins, the latter decimated the BJP, it said. If the prime minister had all the details of the meet at Aiyar's house and knew the meeting was to undertake anti- national activities, why did he only level allegations and why were all those present at the meeting not arrested and an inquiry conducted, it asked. "Why are allegations levelled only in election rallies? If an interference from Pakistan is happening, let the Indian Army enter that country and take action, the Sena suggested. "The country expects Modi to work. How many times will you chant Pakistan's name?"

'Shame on you' Pawar tells PM for remarks against Manmohan

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s allegation that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">Pakistan is meddling</a> in the Gujarat elections.&nbsp;

&quot;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,&quot; Singh said in a statement released by him on Monday.&nbsp;

Modi had made the allegation after former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had called him a &quot;neech&quot; person.&nbsp;

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 &quot;neech&quot;.&nbsp;

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.

&quot;Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable. Sadly &amp; 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,&quot; Singh said in his statement.&nbsp;

It later came to light that the dinner -- hosted by Aiyar -- had also been attended by a former Indian Army chief.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I sincerely hope that he will apologize to the Nation for his ill-thought transgression to restore the dignity of the office he occupies" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

&nbsp; 
In his statement, Manmohan Singh also went on to take a potshot at Modi.&nbsp;

&quot;The Congress Party needs no sermons on &#39;Nationalism&#39;&nbsp;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.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Singh added that &quot;no one, including Shri Modi, can lamely question&quot; his record of public service over the last five decades.&nbsp;

The rest of Singh&#39;s statement read:&nbsp;

&quot;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.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
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. &nbsp;Nor was the Gujarat issue raised by anyone else present at the dinner. &nbsp;The discussion was confined to India-Pakistan relations. &nbsp;Names of the distinguished Indian public servants and journalists present at the dinner are enclosed to this statement. &nbsp;None of them could be accused of indulging in any anti-national activities. 
&nbsp; 
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.&quot;&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had alleged that Pakistan was meddling in the Gujarat elections

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegation that Pakistan is meddling in the Gujarat elections. "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."

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

Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday described Modi&#39;s statement that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat &#39;&#39;outrageous&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s allegations that the Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat and that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him, Congress leader Sharma said&nbsp;that statement was an attempt to polarize the country&nbsp;ahead of the&nbsp;second phase of voting&nbsp;and added that it showed Modi&#39;s desperation.

BJP&#39;s loss was now guaranteed, he added. &nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP&#39;s loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress <a href="https://t.co/1Ax2qxDzvN">pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940112995161554944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

 
Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding and&nbsp;there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats, former Army chief among other dignitaries. Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize, Sharma further said.

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats,former Army chief among other dignitaries.Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize: Anand Sharma,Congress <a href="https://t.co/K07MwkwhFE">pic.twitter.com/K07MwkwhFE</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940115921053421568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Modi also claimed that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him.

The meeting took place at Aiyar&#39;s residence, Modi claimed.

He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat.

Congress leader Anand Sharma on Monday described Modi's statement that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat ''outrageous''. Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations that the Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat and that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him, Congress leader Sharma said that statement was an attempt to polarize the country ahead of the second phase of voting and added that it showed Modi's desperation. BJP's loss was now guaranteed, he added. PM has said Congress is conspiring with Pakistan for Gujarat elections.Its outrageous. This is just an attempt to polarize ahead of second phase of voting.This also shows his desperation and that BJP's loss is now guaranteed: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/1Ax2qxDzvN — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding and there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats, former Army chief among other dignitaries. Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize, Sharma further said. Ex-Pakistan Foreign Minister was here to attend a wedding, there was a dinner organized for him in which there were former diplomats,former Army chief among other dignitaries.Does PM think they were all conspiring with Pak? Reprehensible.PM must apologize: Anand Sharma,Congress pic.twitter.com/K07MwkwhFE — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on the Congress on Sunday by suggesting that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. Modi also claimed that some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him. The meeting took place at Aiyar's residence, Modi claimed. He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.

Modi desperate about BJP loss in Gujarat, Pak trying to influence polls is outrageous: Anand Sharma

The BJP stuck to its stand Monday on the meeting between Congress leaders and Pakistani officials.&nbsp;

&quot;Congress must come out with detailed facts what transpired in that meeting and what was the necessity of having it in present circumstances,&quot; Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.&nbsp;

&quot;Yesterday they were in denial about it and today instead of accepting it as a misadventure, they try to blame those raising the issue,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

He also added that &quot;Those like Mani Shankar Aiyar always had an inconsistent position.&quot; That &quot;They maintained a parallel line of dialogue, underplayed Pakistan&#39;s role in instigating terrorism in India and continued to engage with them (Pak).&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Those like Mani Shankar Aiyar always had an inconsistent position. They maintained a parallel line of dialogue, underplayed Pakistan&#39;s role in instigating terrorism in India &amp; continued to engage with them (Pak) : FM Arun Jaitley <a href="https://t.co/pACCscylnq">pic.twitter.com/pACCscylnq</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/940229926548004864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

He also added that &quot;Former PM Manmohan Singh has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-one-can-lamely-question-my-public-service-manmohan-to-modi-on-pak-meddling-allegations-26463" target="_blank">issued a statement</a> asking PM Modi to apologise for what he said in an election rally with regard to a meeting involving Pakistani delegations. It is surprising that (the) Congress party expect the Prime Minister of India to apologise for it.&quot;&nbsp;

Prime Minister Modi had referred to the meeting while campaigning in Gujarat. He said the meeting had been attended by Mani Shankar Aiyar, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari.&nbsp;

He said that the day after the meeting former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had called him a &quot;neech&quot; person, and alleged that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-claims-pakistan-trying-to-influence-gujarat-elections-26391" target="_blank">Pakistan was interfering</a> in the Gujarat elections.&nbsp;

News reports however have since said that the dinner meeting, hosted by Aiyar, was also attended by, among other, a former Indian Army chief.&nbsp;

The former Army chief, Deepak Kapoor, has said on record that the only thing discussed at the dinner was India-Pak relations.&nbsp;

And that Gujarat was not brought up.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had alleged, while referring to the meeting, that Pakistan was meddling in the Gujarat elections

The BJP stuck to its stand Monday on the meeting between Congress leaders and Pakistani officials. "Congress must come out with detailed facts what transpired in that meeting and what was the necessity of having it in present circumstances," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. "Yesterday they were in denial about it and today instead of accepting it as a misadventure, they try to blame those raising the issue," he added. He also added that "Those like Mani Shankar Aiyar always had an inconsistent position." That "They maintained a parallel line of dialogue, underplayed Pakistan's role in instigating terrorism in India and continued to engage with them (Pak)." Those like Mani Shankar Aiyar always had an inconsistent position. They maintained a parallel line of dialogue, underplayed Pakistan's role in instigating terrorism in India & continued to engage with them (Pak) : FM Arun Jaitley pic.twitter.com/pACCscylnq — ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2017 × He also added that "Former PM Manmohan Singh has issued a statement asking PM Modi to apologise for what he said in an election rally with regard to a meeting involving Pakistani delegations. It is surprising that (the) Congress party expect the Prime Minister of India to apologise for it." Prime Minister Modi had referred to the meeting while campaigning in Gujarat. He said the meeting had been attended by Mani Shankar Aiyar, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and former Vice-President Hamid Ansari. He said that the day after the meeting former Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar had called him a "neech" person, and alleged that Pakistan was interfering in the Gujarat elections. News reports however have since said that the dinner meeting, hosted by Aiyar, was also attended by, among other, a former Indian Army chief. The former Army chief, Deepak Kapoor, has said on record that the only thing discussed at the dinner was India-Pak relations. And that Gujarat was not brought up.

BJP sticks to guns, Jaitley says Congress must come out with detailed facts on Pakistani meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday continued his tirade against suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar while questioning his meeting with the Pakistan High Commissioner.

Aiyar, who sparked a controversy by calling Prime Minister Modi &#39;neech aadmi&#39;, had, on Thursday, met Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood along with former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former vice president Hamid Ansari.

&quot;Have you read about Mani Shankar Aiyar. Didn&#39;t they insult me and people of Gujarat? Now news is that Pakistan High Commissioner and foreign minister and Manmohan Singh met at his house just before the Gujarat polls. This is a serious issue that I want to ask. What is the reason for secret meeting with Pakistanis?&quot; Prime Minister Modi said, while addressing a rally in Banaskantha&#39;s Palanpur.

&quot;Former Pakistan Army director general Arshad Rafique was backing and was willing to help make Ahmed Patel the chief minister,&quot; he alleged.

Meanwhile, the Prime minister also hailed the work in Banaskantha, especially in the agriculture sector.

&quot;The entire nation is seeing the wonders of Banaskantha in agriculture, particularly in potato cultivation,&quot; he added.

The prime minister, who was apparently suffering from a sore throat, could not talk properly and hence concluded his speech urging the gathering to vote for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The political parties have started campaigning for the second phase of Gujarat assembly to be held on December 14.

The first phase was held on December 9 for 83 assembly constituencies.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

Modi also alleged that 'Former Pakistan Army director general Arshad Rafique was backing and was willing to help make Ahmed Patel the chief minister'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday continued his tirade against suspended Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar while questioning his meeting with the Pakistan High Commissioner. Aiyar, who sparked a controversy by calling Prime Minister Modi 'neech aadmi', had, on Thursday, met Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood along with former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former vice president Hamid Ansari. "Have you read about Mani Shankar Aiyar. Didn't they insult me and people of Gujarat? Now news is that Pakistan High Commissioner and foreign minister and Manmohan Singh met at his house just before the Gujarat polls. This is a serious issue that I want to ask. What is the reason for secret meeting with Pakistanis?" Prime Minister Modi said, while addressing a rally in Banaskantha's Palanpur. "Former Pakistan Army director general Arshad Rafique was backing and was willing to help make Ahmed Patel the chief minister," he alleged. Meanwhile, the Prime minister also hailed the work in Banaskantha, especially in the agriculture sector. "The entire nation is seeing the wonders of Banaskantha in agriculture, particularly in potato cultivation," he added. The prime minister, who was apparently suffering from a sore throat, could not talk properly and hence concluded his speech urging the gathering to vote for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The political parties have started campaigning for the second phase of Gujarat assembly to be held on December 14. The first phase was held on December 9 for 83 assembly constituencies.

Why did Congress leaders meet in secret with Pakistanis? PM Modi in Gujarat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today suggested Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat, claiming some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the &quot;neech&quot; jibe against him.

In a new twist to the vitriol-filled campaign, Modi said the meeting took place at Aiyar&#39;s residence.

He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat.

&quot;There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s house. It was attended by Pakistan&#39;s high commissioner, Pakistan&#39;s former foreign minister, India&#39;s former vice president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh,&quot; Modi told an election rally at Palanpur.

The meeting at Aiyar&#39;s house continued for almost three hours, Modi said, adding &quot;the next day, Mani Shankar Aiyar said Modi is &#39;neech&#39; (a vile man). This is a serious matter.&quot;

&quot;(On one hand) Pakistan Army&#39;s former DG is interfering in Gujarat&#39;s election, on the other, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar&#39;s house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don&#39;t you think such events raise doubts,&quot; Modi asked.

Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala, however, rubbished Modi&#39;s claim, terming it as &quot;baseless&quot;.

&quot;Holding the country&#39;s topmost post, Modiji is making baseless allegations. Modiji is worried, dejected, angry. Such a statement has no truth or fact, and is based on lies. Such a behaviour is unbecoming of a prime minister,&quot; Surjewala told reporters in Ahmedabad.

Though Modi did not name the ex-vice president present at the meeting, BJP president Amit Shah said in Ahmedabad that it was Hamid Ansari.

Shah told reporters that the Congress leaders had not informed the ministry of external affairs or the Indian government about the meeting.

Modi also accused the Congress of creating a &quot;rift&quot; between various communities and spreading the &quot;poison of casteism&quot; in society for power.

The prime minister, who did not speak much due to sore throat at the Palanpur rally, slammed the Congress for spreading a false propaganda that the Modi government worked only for the rich.

Modi cited the case of Genabhai Patel, a progressive farmer from Banaskantha district who was recently conferred with &#39;Padma Shri&#39;, to claim his government&#39;s pro-poor credentials.

&quot;Just compare those who received Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan during the 10 year rule of the Congress with those who were given the same awards in my three-year tenure (as PM so far). That comparison would tell you who was pro-rich and who is pro-poor,&quot; he said.

&quot;Do you know who received that award (Padma Shri) from Banaskantha? That was our Genabhai. Is he rich or is he a mill owner? Does he have an aeroplane?..This shows who is working for the poor,&quot; Modi said.

He said the entire north Gujarat region, particularly Palanpur, would witness &quot;unbelievable growth&quot; over the next five years due to the Delhi-Mumbai Freight Corridor.

Later, while addressing a rally in Kaalol town, Modi accused the Congress of sowing seeds of enmity between various communities for power.

&quot;It seems that Congress just doesn&#39;t want to improve. They still believe in acquiring power by creating enmity between two communities and by creating a rift between brothers. They spread poison of casteism in the society to retain power in the past,&quot; the prime minister said.

Referring to Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia&#39;s claim that the EVMs used for the first phase of polling on December 9 might have been tampered with, Modi said the party was &quot;preparing excuses&quot; to insulate Rahul Gandhi against impending defeat.

&quot;On December 18 (the day of counting), party leaders will claim on television that Congress lost because of (Mani Shankar) Aiyar&#39;s comment. They won&#39;t say that party lost because of Rahul. There is an agenda in the Congress- &#39;Save Rahul, Save Family&#39;,&quot; he said.

During the first phase of Gujarat elections yesterday, Modhwadia, the party candidate for Porbandar seat, alleged that his cell phone was getting connected to an EVM through bluetooth, a claim the Election Commission said was incorrect.

Modi seized on Modhwadia&#39;s claim to attack the Congress.

&quot;To be on the safer side, they have prepared one more excuse. Yesterday, when the polling was on, some leaders claimed that (one) EVM was connected with bluetooth. They should have used common sense. EVMs are not online devices and can never be connected with bluetooth,&quot; he said.

The Congress rubbished Modi's claim, calling it 'baseless'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today suggested Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat, claiming some Pakistani officials and ex-prime minister Manmohan Singh met a day before Mani Shankar Aiyar made the "neech" jibe against him. In a new twist to the vitriol-filled campaign, Modi said the meeting took place at Aiyar's residence. He also raised questions about the alleged appeal by former director general (DG) of the Pakistan Army Sardar Arshad Rafiq to make senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel the chief minister of Gujarat. "There were media reports yesterday about a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. It was attended by Pakistan's high commissioner, Pakistan's former foreign minister, India's former vice president and former prime minister Manmohan Singh," Modi told an election rally at Palanpur. The meeting at Aiyar's house continued for almost three hours, Modi said, adding "the next day, Mani Shankar Aiyar said Modi is 'neech' (a vile man). This is a serious matter." "(On one hand) Pakistan Army's former DG is interfering in Gujarat's election, on the other, Pakistani people are holding a meeting at Mani Shankar Aiyar's house. After that meeting, people of Gujarat, backward communities, poor people and Modi were insulted. Don't you think such events raise doubts," Modi asked. Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala, however, rubbished Modi's claim, terming it as "baseless". "Holding the country's topmost post, Modiji is making baseless allegations. Modiji is worried, dejected, angry. Such a statement has no truth or fact, and is based on lies. Such a behaviour is unbecoming of a prime minister," Surjewala told reporters in Ahmedabad. Though Modi did not name the ex-vice president present at the meeting, BJP president Amit Shah said in Ahmedabad that it was Hamid Ansari. Shah told reporters that the Congress leaders had not informed the ministry of external affairs or the Indian government about the meeting. Modi also accused the Congress of creating a "rift" between various communities and spreading the "poison of casteism" in society for power. The prime minister, who did not speak much due to sore throat at the Palanpur rally, slammed the Congress for spreading a false propaganda that the Modi government worked only for the rich. Modi cited the case of Genabhai Patel, a progressive farmer from Banaskantha district who was recently conferred with 'Padma Shri', to claim his government's pro-poor credentials. "Just compare those who received Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan during the 10 year rule of the Congress with those who were given the same awards in my three-year tenure (as PM so far). That comparison would tell you who was pro-rich and who is pro-poor," he said. "Do you know who received that award (Padma Shri) from Banaskantha? That was our Genabhai. Is he rich or is he a mill owner? Does he have an aeroplane?..This shows who is working for the poor," Modi said. He said the entire north Gujarat region, particularly Palanpur, would witness "unbelievable growth" over the next five years due to the Delhi-Mumbai Freight Corridor. Later, while addressing a rally in Kaalol town, Modi accused the Congress of sowing seeds of enmity between various communities for power. "It seems that Congress just doesn't want to improve. They still believe in acquiring power by creating enmity between two communities and by creating a rift between brothers. They spread poison of casteism in the society to retain power in the past," the prime minister said. Referring to Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia's claim that the EVMs used for the first phase of polling on December 9 might have been tampered with, Modi said the party was "preparing excuses" to insulate Rahul Gandhi against impending defeat. "On December 18 (the day of counting), party leaders will claim on television that Congress lost because of (Mani Shankar) Aiyar's comment. They won't say that party lost because of Rahul. There is an agenda in the Congress- 'Save Rahul, Save Family'," he said. During the first phase of Gujarat elections yesterday, Modhwadia, the party candidate for Porbandar seat, alleged that his cell phone was getting connected to an EVM through bluetooth, a claim the Election Commission said was incorrect. Modi seized on Modhwadia's claim to attack the Congress. "To be on the safer side, they have prepared one more excuse. Yesterday, when the polling was on, some leaders claimed that (one) EVM was connected with bluetooth. They should have used common sense. EVMs are not online devices and can never be connected with bluetooth," he said.

Modi claims Pakistan trying to influence Gujarat elections

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is set to handle over the party&#39;s mantle to her son Rahul Gandhi after steering it for 19 years, today turned 71 and party leaders and workers thronged her residence to greet her on her birthday.

Gandhi also met a number of leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and accepted their greetings.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and several former chief ministers and officer bearers also greeted Gandhi.

Congressmen gathered outside Sonia Gandhi&#39;s 10 Janpath residence since morning and celebrated her birthday by dancing to the beats of drums. Many carried posters and placards wishing Sonia Gandhi.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat tried his hands at the drums as folk dancers performed outside Gandhi&#39;s house.

Former chief ministers Sheila Dikshit, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Union ministers including Anand Sharma, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and RPN Singh, and party general secretaries including Janardan Dwivedi, Ambika Soni and Mohan Prakash were also present.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished Gandhi with a tweet, saying &quot;Birthday greetings to Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi. I pray for her long life and good health.

Many Congress leaders also wished her with bouquets.

&quot;I extend my warm birthday greetings to Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi ji. Wish her a healthy, happy and long life,? said Ashok Gehlot, party?s general secretary in-charge of Gujarat.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also greeted Gandhi, saying, Warm birthday greetings to Congress President Sonia Gandhi ji. On the occasion of your birthday, I wish for your good health and long life.&quot;

Sonia Gandhi was born on December 9, 1946 in Louisiana, Vicenza in Italy.

She has held the post of Congress President since 1998 and has been a Lok Sabha MP since 1999. She is all set to hand over the party&#39;s reins to Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

Former PM Manmohan Singh came to wish her

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who is set to handle over the party's mantle to her son Rahul Gandhi after steering it for 19 years, today turned 71 and party leaders and workers thronged her residence to greet her on her birthday. Gandhi also met a number of leaders including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and accepted their greetings. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and several former chief ministers and officer bearers also greeted Gandhi. Congressmen gathered outside Sonia Gandhi's 10 Janpath residence since morning and celebrated her birthday by dancing to the beats of drums. Many carried posters and placards wishing Sonia Gandhi. Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat tried his hands at the drums as folk dancers performed outside Gandhi's house. Former chief ministers Sheila Dikshit, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Union ministers including Anand Sharma, Jyotiraditya Scindia, and RPN Singh, and party general secretaries including Janardan Dwivedi, Ambika Soni and Mohan Prakash were also present. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also wished Gandhi with a tweet, saying "Birthday greetings to Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi. I pray for her long life and good health. Many Congress leaders also wished her with bouquets. "I extend my warm birthday greetings to Congress President Smt Sonia Gandhi ji. Wish her a healthy, happy and long life,? said Ashok Gehlot, party?s general secretary in-charge of Gujarat. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also greeted Gandhi, saying, Warm birthday greetings to Congress President Sonia Gandhi ji. On the occasion of your birthday, I wish for your good health and long life." Sonia Gandhi was born on December 9, 1946 in Louisiana, Vicenza in Italy. She has held the post of Congress President since 1998 and has been a Lok Sabha MP since 1999. She is all set to hand over the party's reins to Rahul Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi turns 71, Congress leaders & workers throng residence

Continuing his trail of attacks on PM Modi, Dr Manmohan Sigh on Thursday questioned his demonetization scheme once again, claiming that he has betrayed the trust of fellow &#39;Gujratis&#39;.

While talking to the crowd in Gujrat&#39;s Rajkot, the former PM said: &quot;The people of Rajkot and Gujarat trusted the Prime Minister and believed in the policy of demonetisation in the hope that their sacrifice would benefit India. Their faith and hopes have been shattered. Modiji has betrayed the trust that Gujaratis had reposed in him&quot; he said.&nbsp;

He has also urged people to ask officials to present documents related to demonetisation.

&quot;We must demand the government to release all the documents related to demonetisation in public domain for scrutiny&quot;, he said.

&quot;99% of the demonetised currency came back to the banks. It is clear that a lot of black money got converted to white and corruption continues to flourish. One immediate impact of demonetisation has been on job sector. Therefore, demonetisation was an uninformed attack and a disastrous decision for our economy,&quot; he further added.&nbsp;

He previously also commented on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/preview/article/26119">Modi&#39;s government&#39;s economic policies</a> saying that to equal the UPA&#39;s ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year.&nbsp;

He previously also commented on Modi's government's economic policies saying that to equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year

Continuing his trail of attacks on PM Modi, Dr Manmohan Sigh on Thursday questioned his demonetization scheme once again, claiming that he has betrayed the trust of fellow 'Gujratis'. While talking to the crowd in Gujrat's Rajkot, the former PM said: "The people of Rajkot and Gujarat trusted the Prime Minister and believed in the policy of demonetisation in the hope that their sacrifice would benefit India. Their faith and hopes have been shattered. Modiji has betrayed the trust that Gujaratis had reposed in him" he said. He has also urged people to ask officials to present documents related to demonetisation. "We must demand the government to release all the documents related to demonetisation in public domain for scrutiny", he said. "99% of the demonetised currency came back to the banks. It is clear that a lot of black money got converted to white and corruption continues to flourish. One immediate impact of demonetisation has been on job sector. Therefore, demonetisation was an uninformed attack and a disastrous decision for our economy," he further added. He previously also commented on Modi's government's economic policies saying that to equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year.

PM Modi has betrayed Gujaratis: Manmohan Singh

Former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Thursday hit out at Modi government&#39;s economic policies and said that to equal the UPA&#39;s ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;To equal the UPA&#39;s ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will,&#39;&#39; he said in Rajkot.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP, they have not acted on corruption in their rule: Dr.Manmohan Singh <a href="https://t.co/H1KXMekAgA">pic.twitter.com/H1KXMekAgA</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938674545283579905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Accusing the BJP led NDA government at the centre of corruption, he said whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP, they have not acted on corruption in their rule.&nbsp;

Criticising Modi&#39;s foreign policy, Manmohan said &#39;&#39;Our national security has been hurt by the inconsistent foreign policies of the Government. Some steps taken by Modi Govt were not in the best interest of the country, he added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
To equal the UPA&#39;s ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6% in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will: Dr.Manmohan Singh in Rajkot <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GujaratElection2017?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GujaratElection2017</a> <a href="https://t.co/kFEq1MPIHa">pic.twitter.com/kFEq1MPIHa</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/938672014037958656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&#39;&#39;Modiji says he took up Narmada issue with me but I don&#39;t remember him talking to me about this issue, though whenever he wanted to meet me I never refused,was always ready as being PM it was my responsibility to meet all CMs,&#39;&#39; the former PM said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

National security has been hurt by the inconsistent foreign policies of the Government. Some steps taken by Modi Govt were not in the best interest of the country, he said

Former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Thursday hit out at Modi government's economic policies and said that to equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year. ''To equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6 per cent in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will,'' he said in Rajkot. Whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP, they have not acted on corruption in their rule: Dr.Manmohan Singh pic.twitter.com/H1KXMekAgA — ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2017 × Accusing the BJP led NDA government at the centre of corruption, he said whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP, they have not acted on corruption in their rule. Criticising Modi's foreign policy, Manmohan said ''Our national security has been hurt by the inconsistent foreign policies of the Government. Some steps taken by Modi Govt were not in the best interest of the country, he added. To equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6% in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will: Dr.Manmohan Singh in Rajkot #GujaratElection2017 pic.twitter.com/kFEq1MPIHa — ANI (@ANI) December 7, 2017 × ''Modiji says he took up Narmada issue with me but I don't remember him talking to me about this issue, though whenever he wanted to meet me I never refused,was always ready as being PM it was my responsibility to meet all CMs,'' the former PM said.

To equal the UPA's 10-year average, economy will have to grow at 10.6%: Manmohan

Former Prime Minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Monday called Congress president in the waiting, Rahul Gandhi, &quot;darling&quot; of the party and will carry forward the &quot;great traditions&quot; of the Congress.&nbsp;

&quot;Rahul Gandhi is a darling of the Congress and he will carry forward the great traditions of the party,&quot; the former Prime Minister was quoted as saying after Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination papers for the party&#39;s top post.&nbsp;

The Congress President Sonia Gandhi has served the party for over 19 years, he said and added: &quot;So it will be yet another chapter for the party and Rahul Gandhi will carry on the great traditions of taking the party forward.&quot;&nbsp;

Over 90 sets of nominations are expected to be filed supporting Gandhi whose election is a mere formality now, as there is no other candidate for the party&#39;s top post.&nbsp;

Gandhi will succeed his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving Congress chief who has helmed the party since 1998.&nbsp;

Gandhi will succeed his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving Congress chief who has helmed the party since 1998

Former Prime Minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh on Monday called Congress president in the waiting, Rahul Gandhi, "darling" of the party and will carry forward the "great traditions" of the Congress. "Rahul Gandhi is a darling of the Congress and he will carry forward the great traditions of the party," the former Prime Minister was quoted as saying after Rahul Gandhi filed his nomination papers for the party's top post. The Congress President Sonia Gandhi has served the party for over 19 years, he said and added: "So it will be yet another chapter for the party and Rahul Gandhi will carry on the great traditions of taking the party forward." Over 90 sets of nominations are expected to be filed supporting Gandhi whose election is a mere formality now, as there is no other candidate for the party's top post. Gandhi will succeed his mother Sonia Gandhi, the longest-serving Congress chief who has helmed the party since 1998.

Rahul Gandhi darling of Congress: Manmohan Singh

Continuing his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh once against described November&nbsp;8, 2016 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s announced his demonitisation&nbsp;drive, as a black day for &#39;&#39;our economy and democracy&#39;&#39;.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Nothing is gained as often attempted by Modi ji to pit the two great leaders (Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel) of power (against each other): Former PM Manmohan Singh <a href="https://t.co/87HsOnTGJn">pic.twitter.com/87HsOnTGJn</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/936900584057192449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Campaigning in Gujarat&#39;s Surat ahead of state assembly elections on Saturday, the former PM invoked the memories of 100 people who lost their lives during demonitisation.&nbsp;

&#39;&#39;I invoke memories of more than 100 people who lost their lives while standing in queues as a result of demonetisation,&#39;&#39; he said.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
I invoke memories of more than 100 people who lost their lives while standing in queues as a result of demonetisation. I say with immense pain &amp; a sense of deep responsibility that the 8th of November was a black day for our economy &amp; democracy: Manmohan Singh in Surat <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gujarat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gujarat</a> <a href="https://t.co/AGDuZgsf5r">pic.twitter.com/AGDuZgsf5r</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/936884654132535297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

With immense pain and a sense of deep responsibility that the 8th of November was a black day for our economy &amp; democracy, Singh said.&nbsp;

Attacking the PM on another major issue, he said nothing was gained as often attempted by Modi ji to pit the two great leaders (Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel) of power (against each other).&nbsp;

Campaigning in Gujarat's Surat ahead of state assembly elections in the state, the former PM invoked the memories of 100 people who lost their lives during demonitisation

Continuing his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh once against described November 8, 2016 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announced his demonitisation drive, as a black day for ''our economy and democracy''. Nothing is gained as often attempted by Modi ji to pit the two great leaders (Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel) of power (against each other): Former PM Manmohan Singh pic.twitter.com/87HsOnTGJn — ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 × Campaigning in Gujarat's Surat ahead of state assembly elections on Saturday, the former PM invoked the memories of 100 people who lost their lives during demonitisation. ''I invoke memories of more than 100 people who lost their lives while standing in queues as a result of demonetisation,'' he said. I invoke memories of more than 100 people who lost their lives while standing in queues as a result of demonetisation. I say with immense pain & a sense of deep responsibility that the 8th of November was a black day for our economy & democracy: Manmohan Singh in Surat #Gujarat pic.twitter.com/AGDuZgsf5r — ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 × With immense pain and a sense of deep responsibility that the 8th of November was a black day for our economy & democracy, Singh said. Attacking the PM on another major issue, he said nothing was gained as often attempted by Modi ji to pit the two great leaders (Pandit Nehru and Sardar Patel) of power (against each other).

November 8 black day for our economy and democracy: Manmohan Singh

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his predecessor Manmohan Singh today said Modi failed to understand the &quot;pains&quot; of his note ban and GST decisions were going to unleash on the people of his own home state.

Calling demonetisation an &quot;uninformed, half-baked crusade&quot; and GST a &quot;badly designed and hastily implemented&quot; measure, Singh also lamented the &quot;low-level rhetoric&quot; used by the ruling party.

&quot;I wish the prime minister would find more dignified ways of impressing upon the crowds and seeking their votes...,&quot; he said.

&quot;Just as you were recovering from one blow (of demonetisation), came the GST. Nobody consulted you or tried to understand how your dhandha (business) works,&quot; he told a gathering of members of the local business community here.

&quot;The prime minister is from Gujarat, and he claims to understand Gujarat and the poor more than anyone else. How is it that he never understood the pains his decisions will unleash on you?&quot; Singh asked.

&quot;Your business works on trust and relationships. Without trust in each other, Surat will collapse. You extended this trust to the prime minister and his promise of &#39;acchhe din&#39; (good days). The hope symbolised in those dreams now lies shattered,&quot; he said.

In Surat alone, 89,000 powerlooms were sold as scrap and it led to a loss of 31,000 jobs, Singh said. &quot;There are countless such examples from industrial clusters and big mandis (markets) from across the country.&quot;

China benefited from this situation, he claimed.

&quot;In FY 2016-17, India&#39;s imports from China stood at Rs 1.96 lakh crore. During the same period in FY 2017-18, the imports from China increased to Rs 2.41 lakh crore. This unprecedented increase in imports by more than Rs 45,000 crore, a 23 per cent increase in a year, can be attributed largely to demonetisation and GST.

&quot;These twin blows damaged India&#39;s MSME sector and our businesses had to turn to Chinese imports at the cost of India jobs,&quot; the senior Congress leader said. 
On demonetisation, Singh said, &quot;This is an uninformed, half-baked crusade on black money where he (Modi) painted everyone as a thief, while real culprits have gotten away.&quot;

The Goods and Services Tax was &quot;badly designed and hastily implemented&quot;, the economist-turned-politician said.

Maintaining that demonetisation was not the solution to the problem of black money and tax evasion, Singh said the costs of demonetisation substantially exceeded its benefits, and the decision &quot;proved to be mere bluster to reap political dividends while the real offenders have escaped&quot;.

Demonetisation and GST have also &quot;sown a deep-rooted fear of tax terrorism among the business community&quot;, he said.

&quot;At a time when the economy has slowed down considerably, despite favourable global macro-economic conditions, the fear of tax terrorism has eroded the confidence of the businesses to invest,&quot; he said.

&quot;This attitude of suspecting everyone to be a thief or anti-national, the low-level rhetoric is damaging the democratic discourse and has real consequences for how we relate to one another as citizens. Political leaders must stick to the high road,&quot; he said.

Singh said on every social indicator, from infant and maternal mortality rates to female literacy, Gujarat has fallen behind the best performing states, including Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

He said the recent agitations by the youth cutting across different sections of the society was an indication of the deep dissatisfaction with the performance of successive BJP governments.

The former prime minister said a Congress government in the state will hear the voice of every Gujarati regardless of caste, creed, gender or class.

Later, talking to reporters, Singh strongly denied Modi&#39;s allegation that the Congress and Congress-led governments hated Gujaratis.

&quot;Nothing can be farther from the truth. I realise that many things are said in election times. But when they are gross distortions, they need to be rebutted,&quot; he said, adding that Jawaharlal Nehru, the country&#39;s first prime minister, and the &quot;most famous Gujarati&quot; Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel worked hand-in-hand, and &quot;nothing is gained, as is often attempted by Modi, by pitting the two great leaders apart.&quot;

Modi was &quot;denigrating the country&quot; when claiming that Congress party did nothing in 70 years, the former PM said.

&quot;I wish the prime minister would find more dignified ways of impressing upon the crowds and seeking their votes without resorting to statements which denigrate our country,&quot; he said.

&quot;...While denigrating the past, the prime minister also tends to exaggerate what he will do in future. He was recently quoted in the press as saying that India will become a developed country by 2022,&quot; Singh said, adding that to achieve that, India needed to grow at the rate of 35 per cent per year.

The government should get out of the &quot;culture of constant self-praise&quot;, Singh said.

&quot;In the ten years of UPA-I and II, when I was the prime minister, we produced 7.8 per cent GDP growth on average. This includes the slow-down in the last two years of our government. When the present government took over, they said they would take growth to 8 to 10 per cent. Modi so far has produced an average of only 7.3 per cent in the first three years,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

"The prime minister is from Gujarat, and he claims to understand Gujarat and the poor more than anyone else. How is it that he never understood the pains his decisions will unleash on you?" Singh asked.

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his predecessor Manmohan Singh today said Modi failed to understand the "pains" of his note ban and GST decisions were going to unleash on the people of his own home state. Calling demonetisation an "uninformed, half-baked crusade" and GST a "badly designed and hastily implemented" measure, Singh also lamented the "low-level rhetoric" used by the ruling party. "I wish the prime minister would find more dignified ways of impressing upon the crowds and seeking their votes...," he said. "Just as you were recovering from one blow (of demonetisation), came the GST. Nobody consulted you or tried to understand how your dhandha (business) works," he told a gathering of members of the local business community here. "The prime minister is from Gujarat, and he claims to understand Gujarat and the poor more than anyone else. How is it that he never understood the pains his decisions will unleash on you?" Singh asked. "Your business works on trust and relationships. Without trust in each other, Surat will collapse. You extended this trust to the prime minister and his promise of 'acchhe din' (good days). The hope symbolised in those dreams now lies shattered," he said. In Surat alone, 89,000 powerlooms were sold as scrap and it led to a loss of 31,000 jobs, Singh said. "There are countless such examples from industrial clusters and big mandis (markets) from across the country." China benefited from this situation, he claimed. "In FY 2016-17, India's imports from China stood at Rs 1.96 lakh crore. During the same period in FY 2017-18, the imports from China increased to Rs 2.41 lakh crore. This unprecedented increase in imports by more than Rs 45,000 crore, a 23 per cent increase in a year, can be attributed largely to demonetisation and GST. "These twin blows damaged India's MSME sector and our businesses had to turn to Chinese imports at the cost of India jobs," the senior Congress leader said. On demonetisation, Singh said, "This is an uninformed, half-baked crusade on black money where he (Modi) painted everyone as a thief, while real culprits have gotten away." The Goods and Services Tax was "badly designed and hastily implemented", the economist-turned-politician said. Maintaining that demonetisation was not the solution to the problem of black money and tax evasion, Singh said the costs of demonetisation substantially exceeded its benefits, and the decision "proved to be mere bluster to reap political dividends while the real offenders have escaped". Demonetisation and GST have also "sown a deep-rooted fear of tax terrorism among the business community", he said. "At a time when the economy has slowed down considerably, despite favourable global macro-economic conditions, the fear of tax terrorism has eroded the confidence of the businesses to invest," he said. "This attitude of suspecting everyone to be a thief or anti-national, the low-level rhetoric is damaging the democratic discourse and has real consequences for how we relate to one another as citizens. Political leaders must stick to the high road," he said. Singh said on every social indicator, from infant and maternal mortality rates to female literacy, Gujarat has fallen behind the best performing states, including Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He said the recent agitations by the youth cutting across different sections of the society was an indication of the deep dissatisfaction with the performance of successive BJP governments. The former prime minister said a Congress government in the state will hear the voice of every Gujarati regardless of caste, creed, gender or class. Later, talking to reporters, Singh strongly denied Modi's allegation that the Congress and Congress-led governments hated Gujaratis. "Nothing can be farther from the truth. I realise that many things are said in election times. But when they are gross distortions, they need to be rebutted," he said, adding that Jawaharlal Nehru, the country's first prime minister, and the "most famous Gujarati" Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel worked hand-in-hand, and "nothing is gained, as is often attempted by Modi, by pitting the two great leaders apart." Modi was "denigrating the country" when claiming that Congress party did nothing in 70 years, the former PM said. "I wish the prime minister would find more dignified ways of impressing upon the crowds and seeking their votes without resorting to statements which denigrate our country," he said. "...While denigrating the past, the prime minister also tends to exaggerate what he will do in future. He was recently quoted in the press as saying that India will become a developed country by 2022," Singh said, adding that to achieve that, India needed to grow at the rate of 35 per cent per year. The government should get out of the "culture of constant self-praise", Singh said. "In the ten years of UPA-I and II, when I was the prime minister, we produced 7.8 per cent GDP growth on average. This includes the slow-down in the last two years of our government. When the present government took over, they said they would take growth to 8 to 10 per cent. Modi so far has produced an average of only 7.3 per cent in the first three years," he said.

Manmohan to PM: Find 'more dignified ways' to seek votes

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that former prime minister Manmohan Singh&#39;s rebuke of demonetisation has risen out of the latter&#39;s compulsion to show allegiance to the Gandhi family.

&quot;This is Manmohan Singh&#39;s helplessness. Just to show allegiance to that family, he has to say wrong things. GDP figures have just come out and all his questions have been answered,&quot; Pradhan told ANI today.

Earlier in the day, the former prime minister termed November 8 the day when the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 was implemented- as a &quot;black day&quot; for the economy and democracy of the country.

&quot;I invoke memories of more than 100 people who lost their lives while standing in queues as a result of demonetisation. I say with immense pain and a sense of deep responsibility that the 8th of November was a black day for our economy and democracy,&quot; Singh said at a press conference in Surat.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 on November 8, in a bid to curb the hoarding of black money in the country. The masses, however, were hard hit by the move, which suffered severe cash crunch and had to stand in long queues outside banks and ATMs, to withdraw money.

The impact of demonetisation on curbing corruption remains a bone of contention.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that former prime minister Manmohan Singh's rebuke of demonetisation has risen out of the latter's compulsion to show allegiance to the Gandhi family

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has said that former prime minister Manmohan Singh's rebuke of demonetisation has risen out of the latter's compulsion to show allegiance to the Gandhi family. "This is Manmohan Singh's helplessness. Just to show allegiance to that family, he has to say wrong things. GDP figures have just come out and all his questions have been answered," Pradhan told ANI today. Earlier in the day, the former prime minister termed November 8 the day when the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1000 was implemented- as a "black day" for the economy and democracy of the country. "I invoke memories of more than 100 people who lost their lives while standing in queues as a result of demonetisation. I say with immense pain and a sense of deep responsibility that the 8th of November was a black day for our economy and democracy," Singh said at a press conference in Surat. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government demonetised notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 on November 8, in a bid to curb the hoarding of black money in the country. The masses, however, were hard hit by the move, which suffered severe cash crunch and had to stand in long queues outside banks and ATMs, to withdraw money. The impact of demonetisation on curbing corruption remains a bone of contention.

Manmohan Singh's rebuke of demonetisation is just sycophancy:  Dharmendra Pradhan

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/party-set-to-sack-mugabe-zimbabweans-celebrate-expected-downfall-24539" target="_blank">Party set to sack Mugabe, Zimbabweans celebrate expected downfall</a>

Zimbabwe&#39;s ruling party will dismiss President Robert Mugabe on Sunday and reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president he fired, two party sources told Reuters on Saturday, as ecstatic crowds celebrated the expected downfall. Mugabe&#39;s 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the &quot;criminals&quot; around him.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/your-boss-silencing-you-rahul-gandhi-asks-nirmala-sitharaman-24541" target="_blank">Your boss silencing you is &#39;shameful&#39;: Rahul Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman</a>

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday&nbsp;hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was &quot;shameful&quot; that her boss was &quot;silencing&quot; her. Mr Gandhi&#39;s retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal. He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/former-pm-manmohan-singh-to-get-indira-gandhi-peace-prize-24545" target="_blank">Former prime minister Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize</a>

&quot;The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India&#39;s stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language,&quot; a statement from the Trust&#39;s secretary Suman Dubey said.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-be-made-congress-president-before-december-5-sources-to-wion-24527" target="_blank">Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress President before December 5: Sources to WION</a>

Sources also said that the elevation is not going to be delayed any further. The CWC is expected to adopt the resolution to make Rahul Gandhi Congress president on Monday which would subsequently be ratified by the All India Congress Committee. As per the rules of the Congress constitution,&nbsp;the final ratification has to be done by the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-vasundhara-raje-asks-smriti-irani-for-changes-in-film-24535" target="_blank">&#39;Padmavati&#39; row: Vasundhara Raje asks Smriti Irani for changes in film</a>

Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has written to Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani requesting her that the film &quot;Padmavati&quot; should not be released until some changes are made to it so that it &quot;does not hurt the sentiments of any community&quot;. In her letter, the Rajasthan chief minister has suggested that a committee should be formed to discuss the film and its plot and should suggest amendments.&nbsp;

Party set to sack Mugabe, Zimbabweans celebrate expected downfall Zimbabwe's ruling party will dismiss President Robert Mugabe on Sunday and reinstate Emmerson Mnangagwa, the vice-president he fired, two party sources told Reuters on Saturday, as ecstatic crowds celebrated the expected downfall. Mugabe's 37-year rule has been effectively at an end since the army seized control on Wednesday, confining him to his residence, saying it wanted to target the "criminals" around him. Your boss silencing you is 'shameful': Rahul Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was "shameful" that her boss was "silencing" her. Mr Gandhi's retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal. He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize "The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India's stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language," a statement from the Trust's secretary Suman Dubey said. Rahul Gandhi to be made Congress President before December 5: Sources to WION Sources also said that the elevation is not going to be delayed any further. The CWC is expected to adopt the resolution to make Rahul Gandhi Congress president on Monday which would subsequently be ratified by the All India Congress Committee. As per the rules of the Congress constitution, the final ratification has to be done by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). 'Padmavati' row: Vasundhara Raje asks Smriti Irani for changes in film Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje has written to Information and Broadcasting minister Smriti Irani requesting her that the film "Padmavati" should not be released until some changes are made to it so that it "does not hurt the sentiments of any community". In her letter, the Rajasthan chief minister has suggested that a committee should be formed to discuss the film and its plot and should suggest amendments.

WION Morning News Brief, November 19, 2017

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India&#39;s stature globally.

According to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee.

&quot;The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India&#39;s stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language,&quot; a statement from the Trust&#39;s secretary Suman Dubey said.

The Trust said Singh is only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the PM between 2004 and 2014. His tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement, the statement said.

Singh, who as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India and the finance minister in the government headed by P V Narasimha Rao, played a pivotal role in ushering economic reforms, it said adding that as prime minister he led India in achieving the highest sustained rate of economic growth since Independence.

The Trust said Singh has been responsible for making India&#39;s voice heard more effectively at international forums.

&quot;The 10 years of his premiership were not only a period of rapid economic and social changes, they witnessed the lowest terrorist violence, prolonged period of communal harmony, peace on the country&#39;s borders and a globally acknowledged rise in India&#39;s standing in the global community of nations,&quot; the statement said.

The international award named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi was instituted in 1986. The award has been announced on the eve of Gandhi&#39;s birth anniversary.

The last two recipients have been the Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.&nbsp;

Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India's stature globally. According to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee. "The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India's stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language," a statement from the Trust's secretary Suman Dubey said. The Trust said Singh is only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the PM between 2004 and 2014. His tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement, the statement said. Singh, who as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India and the finance minister in the government headed by P V Narasimha Rao, played a pivotal role in ushering economic reforms, it said adding that as prime minister he led India in achieving the highest sustained rate of economic growth since Independence. The Trust said Singh has been responsible for making India's voice heard more effectively at international forums. "The 10 years of his premiership were not only a period of rapid economic and social changes, they witnessed the lowest terrorist violence, prolonged period of communal harmony, peace on the country's borders and a globally acknowledged rise in India's standing in the global community of nations," the statement said. The international award named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi was instituted in 1986. The award has been announced on the eve of Gandhi's birth anniversary. The last two recipients have been the Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India&#39;s stature globally.

According to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee.

&quot;The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India&#39;s stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language,&quot; a statement from the Trust&#39;s secretary Suman Dubey said yesterday.

The Trust said Singh is only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the PM. His tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement, the statement said.

Singh, who as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India and the finance minister in the government headed by PV Narasimha Rao, played a pivotal role in ushering economic reforms, it said, adding that as prime minister he led India in achieving the highest sustained rate of economic growth since Independence.

The Trust said Singh has been responsible for making India&#39;s voice heard more effectively at international forums.

&quot;The 10 years of his premiership were not only a period of rapid economic and social changes, they witnessed the lowest terrorist violence, a prolonged period of communal harmony, peace on the country&#39;s borders and a globally acknowledged rise in India&#39;s standing in the global community of nations,&quot; the statement said.

The international award named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi was instituted in 1986. The last two recipients have been the Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said Manmohan Singh has been responsible for making India's voice heard more effectively at international forums

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh will receive the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development this year for his leadership of the country between 2004 and 2014 and for enhancing India's stature globally. According to a statement from the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, Singh was unanimously chosen for the award by an international jury chaired by ex-president Pranab Mukherjee. "The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is awarded to Manmohan Singh for his leadership of the country and his achievements during the momentous 10 years from 2004 to 2014, for his contributions to the cause of economic and social development, for improving India's stature in the world and its relationship with the neighbours and the leading nations of the world, and for his dedication to the security and well being of ordinary citizens regardless of their faith, caste, region or language," a statement from the Trust's secretary Suman Dubey said yesterday. The Trust said Singh is only the third Indian prime minister to complete two full terms as the PM. His tenure witnessed the path-breaking nuclear agreement with the US and the Copenhagen Climate Change agreement, the statement said. Singh, who as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India and the finance minister in the government headed by PV Narasimha Rao, played a pivotal role in ushering economic reforms, it said, adding that as prime minister he led India in achieving the highest sustained rate of economic growth since Independence. The Trust said Singh has been responsible for making India's voice heard more effectively at international forums. "The 10 years of his premiership were not only a period of rapid economic and social changes, they witnessed the lowest terrorist violence, a prolonged period of communal harmony, peace on the country's borders and a globally acknowledged rise in India's standing in the global community of nations," the statement said. The international award named after former prime minister Indira Gandhi was instituted in 1986. The last two recipients have been the Indian Space Research Organisation and the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Former PM Manmohan Singh to get Indira Gandhi peace prize

&ldquo;Organised loot and a legalised plunder&rdquo; is how Dr Manmohan Singh describes &lsquo;demonetisation&rsquo;. In Ahmedabad, on Tuesday, our former prime minister said: &ldquo;November 8 was a black day for our economy and, indeed, our democracy,&rdquo; referring to this day last year when the government announced its move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.&nbsp;

&ldquo;To promote a less cash economy, coercive steps like demonetisation are ineffective. Nowhere in the world has any nation taken such a drastic step that swept off 86% of the currency in circulations,&rdquo; he said.

Our Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says demonetisation was a &lsquo;watershed moment&rsquo; in Indian history. Hitting out at detractors, and perhaps especially miffed at his illustrious predecessor&rsquo;s comments, Jaitley said: &ldquo;An anti-black money drive is a moral step, loot is what happened in 2G, in Commonwealth Games 2010 and in coal block allocation.&rdquo;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
Reducing the amount of cash in the economy won&#39;t end corruption but definitely make it difficult: <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@arunjaitley</a> defends <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/demonitization?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#demonitization</a>
&mdash; prasad sanyal (@prasadsanyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/prasadsanyal/status/927840191284371456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

While it may be politically expedient to brush off Dr Manmohan Singh and highlight the graft cases when he was the prime minister from 2004 to 2014, it must be conceded that Dr Singh does know a thing or two about the Indian economy. He does have a Tripos from Cambridge and a DPhil from Oxford in Economics. Besides, he has been a Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, headed the Planning Commission in its heydays in the 1980s and, as finance minister between 1991 and 1996, was the harbinger of economic liberalisation in India. &nbsp;

In a series of tweets and graphic templates, Prime Minister Modi has defended the move saying, it has resulted in the &lsquo;highest ever unearthing of black money and dealt a decisive blow to Naxalism and terrorism.&rsquo;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Giving strong impetus to the fight against black money. <a href="https://t.co/4fvbC31VAW">https://t.co/4fvbC31VAW</a> 
 
via NMApp <a href="https://t.co/G0TMkBrX19">pic.twitter.com/G0TMkBrX19</a>
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/927812625043398656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Highest ever unearthing of black money<a href="https://t.co/4fvbC31VAW">https://t.co/4fvbC31VAW</a> 
 
via NMApp <a href="https://t.co/jmrJRPVHSL">pic.twitter.com/jmrJRPVHSL</a>
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/927812417203068928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The verdict is still out on the impact of this move on the Indian economy, and as with other &lsquo;watershed&rsquo; moments in recent Indian history, it has left public opinion deeply divided.

In a society ridden with inequality and poverty, where the &lsquo;aam aadmi&rsquo; is faced with corruption to get even basic amenities, economics doesn&rsquo;t wash. The promise of nabbing those with black money does, and little wonder then, that the move was received positively - as a decisive measure that will rid India of corruption.&nbsp;

The Opposition parties will observe the one-year mark of demonetisation on Wednesday as a &ldquo;Black Day&rdquo;. The Bharatiya Janata Party will commemorate the anniversary as &ldquo;Anti-Black Money Day&rdquo;. &nbsp;

The government has so far been able to pitch demonetisation as a move that was pro-poor and anti-rich, but as the economy shows signs of distress will Robin Hood and his merry band of men be able to assuage the &lsquo;aam aadmi&rsquo;?&nbsp;

As the Finance Minister pointed out today, there has been a shrinking of the informal sector, a wider tax base and greater digitisation in the economy. The government has been on point with its message and there are definite merits to these arguments.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Multi-dimensional success of Demonetisation. <a href="https://t.co/4fvbC31VAW">https://t.co/4fvbC31VAW</a> 
 
via NMApp <a href="https://t.co/l3qbArBcFy">pic.twitter.com/l3qbArBcFy</a>
&mdash; PMO India (@PMOIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/927812281378816000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

Though viewed as a bold and landmark move by the masses, a former Finance Minister of India from the Prime Minister&rsquo;s own BJP, Yashwant Sinha has criticised the move. As businessmen and traders start accounting for the full brunt of the impact of demonitisation, many believe it may not be the best way to tackle corruption.

In August this year, the Reserve Bank of India reported Indians returned almost all of the estimated Rs 15.4 lakh crore ($242 billion) in high-currency bills removed from circulation. It implies that a very small amount of unaccounted for money was held in cash.&nbsp;

While there has been a lot of hullabaloo over different government agencies sharing different sets of numbers, the total value of non-cash transactions rose by around 19 per cent between November 2016 and August 2017. The value and volume of mobile-based transactions recorded negative growth rates between November 2016 and August 2017.

All available evidence suggests that cash has returned to daily transactions and demonetisation may not have had the desired effect, at least in the short-term.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

All available evidence suggests that cash has returned to daily transactions and demonetisation may not have had the desired effect, at least in the short-term.?

“Organised loot and a legalised plunder” is how Dr Manmohan Singh describes ‘demonetisation’. In Ahmedabad, on Tuesday, our former prime minister said: “November 8 was a black day for our economy and, indeed, our democracy,” referring to this day last year when the government announced its move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. “To promote a less cash economy, coercive steps like demonetisation are ineffective. Nowhere in the world has any nation taken such a drastic step that swept off 86% of the currency in circulations,” he said. Our Finance Minister Arun Jaitley says demonetisation was a ‘watershed moment’ in Indian history. Hitting out at detractors, and perhaps especially miffed at his illustrious predecessor’s comments, Jaitley said: “An anti-black money drive is a moral step, loot is what happened in 2G, in Commonwealth Games 2010 and in coal block allocation.” Reducing the amount of cash in the economy won't end corruption but definitely make it difficult: @arunjaitley defends #demonitization — prasad sanyal (@prasadsanyal) November 7, 2017 × While it may be politically expedient to brush off Dr Manmohan Singh and highlight the graft cases when he was the prime minister from 2004 to 2014, it must be conceded that Dr Singh does know a thing or two about the Indian economy. He does have a Tripos from Cambridge and a DPhil from Oxford in Economics. Besides, he has been a Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, headed the Planning Commission in its heydays in the 1980s and, as finance minister between 1991 and 1996, was the harbinger of economic liberalisation in India. In a series of tweets and graphic templates, Prime Minister Modi has defended the move saying, it has resulted in the ‘highest ever unearthing of black money and dealt a decisive blow to Naxalism and terrorism.’ Giving strong impetus to the fight against black money. https://t.co/4fvbC31VAW via NMApp pic.twitter.com/G0TMkBrX19 — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 7, 2017 × Highest ever unearthing of black moneyhttps://t.co/4fvbC31VAW via NMApp pic.twitter.com/jmrJRPVHSL — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 7, 2017 × The verdict is still out on the impact of this move on the Indian economy, and as with other ‘watershed’ moments in recent Indian history, it has left public opinion deeply divided. In a society ridden with inequality and poverty, where the ‘aam aadmi’ is faced with corruption to get even basic amenities, economics doesn’t wash. The promise of nabbing those with black money does, and little wonder then, that the move was received positively - as a decisive measure that will rid India of corruption. The Opposition parties will observe the one-year mark of demonetisation on Wednesday as a “Black Day”. The Bharatiya Janata Party will commemorate the anniversary as “Anti-Black Money Day”. The government has so far been able to pitch demonetisation as a move that was pro-poor and anti-rich, but as the economy shows signs of distress will Robin Hood and his merry band of men be able to assuage the ‘aam aadmi’? As the Finance Minister pointed out today, there has been a shrinking of the informal sector, a wider tax base and greater digitisation in the economy. The government has been on point with its message and there are definite merits to these arguments. Multi-dimensional success of Demonetisation. https://t.co/4fvbC31VAW via NMApp pic.twitter.com/l3qbArBcFy — PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 7, 2017 × Though viewed as a bold and landmark move by the masses, a former Finance Minister of India from the Prime Minister’s own BJP, Yashwant Sinha has criticised the move. As businessmen and traders start accounting for the full brunt of the impact of demonitisation, many believe it may not be the best way to tackle corruption. In August this year, the Reserve Bank of India reported Indians returned almost all of the estimated Rs 15.4 lakh crore ($242 billion) in high-currency bills removed from circulation. It implies that a very small amount of unaccounted for money was held in cash. While there has been a lot of hullabaloo over different government agencies sharing different sets of numbers, the total value of non-cash transactions rose by around 19 per cent between November 2016 and August 2017. The value and volume of mobile-based transactions recorded negative growth rates between November 2016 and August 2017. All available evidence suggests that cash has returned to daily transactions and demonetisation may not have had the desired effect, at least in the short-term.

#Demonetisation: Indian economy watershed or waterboarded?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Congress for not taking effective measures to curb black money in the country. &quot;We needed to do it in 1971. We have caused huge losses by not doing this since 1971,&quot; Modi told BJP MPs.

Narendra Modi also quoted former bureaucrat Madhav Godbole&#39;s book in which he has recorded how then Home Minister YB Chavan had recommended demonetisation to curb ill-gotten and hidden wealth.

&quot;Godbole says in the book that Gandhi replied saying &#39;are no more elections to be fought by the Congress&#39;? Chavan got the message and the recommendation was (dropped),&quot; Modi said.

&quot;This was in 1971 when everybody recommended this. Had it (demonetisation) been done in 1971, the nation wouldn&#39;t have been in this situation today.&quot;

Modi&#39;s remarks came during a BJP parliamentary party meeting on the last day of the winter session.

&nbsp;Modi further targeted Congress by saying that Congress has always put its interest over that of the country while for the BJP the nation&#39;s interests are supreme.

To remove corruption and black money from the society Modi again pitched for the digital economy as he made an appeal to the masses to adopt digital economy as a &#39;way of life.&#39;

While criticizing Congress Modi also attacked former Prime minister Manmohan Singh saying that he advocated strong measures against corruption and black money but did nothing during his rule of 10 years.

&nbsp;Manmohan Singh has been openly criticizing demonetisation from the start; he said that&nbsp; &quot;I don&#39;t think demonetisation was at all required, I don&#39;t think it was technically, economically necessary to launch this adventure,&quot; in 2016

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Congress for not taking effective measures to curb black money in the country. "We needed to do it in 1971. We have caused huge losses by not doing this since 1971," Modi told BJP MPs.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Congress for not taking effective measures to curb black money in the country. "We needed to do it in 1971. We have caused huge losses by not doing this since 1971," Modi told BJP MPs. Narendra Modi also quoted former bureaucrat Madhav Godbole's book in which he has recorded how then Home Minister YB Chavan had recommended demonetisation to curb ill-gotten and hidden wealth. "Godbole says in the book that Gandhi replied saying 'are no more elections to be fought by the Congress'? Chavan got the message and the recommendation was (dropped)," Modi said. "This was in 1971 when everybody recommended this. Had it (demonetisation) been done in 1971, the nation wouldn't have been in this situation today." Modi's remarks came during a BJP parliamentary party meeting on the last day of the winter session. Modi further targeted Congress by saying that Congress has always put its interest over that of the country while for the BJP the nation's interests are supreme. To remove corruption and black money from the society Modi again pitched for the digital economy as he made an appeal to the masses to adopt digital economy as a 'way of life.' While criticizing Congress Modi also attacked former Prime minister Manmohan Singh saying that he advocated strong measures against corruption and black money but did nothing during his rule of 10 years. Manmohan Singh has been openly criticizing demonetisation from the start; he said that "I don't think demonetisation was at all required, I don't think it was technically, economically necessary to launch this adventure," in 2016

'Note ban should have done in 1971' says Narendra Modi while slamming Congress

The BJP on Wednesday attacked the Congress by saying that &#39;ease of doing corruption&#39; has been replaced by the ease of doing business.

&quot;The difference between the UPA and NDA - &#39;The ease of doing corruption has been replaced by the ease of doing business&#39;,&quot; tweeted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

Jaitley was responding to Rahul Gandhi&#39;s charge that there was no ease of doing business in India as demonetisation and GST destroyed everything.

Addressing a public meeting in Gujarat&#39;s Bharuch,&nbsp; Gandhi said that BJP will &quot;get a&nbsp;shock of their life&quot; on the day of Gujarat election and added, &quot;there was no ease of doing business in India as demonetisation and GST have destroyed everything&quot;.

&quot;The BJP has been in power for the last three years. How many Swiss account holders are in jail? Tell me,&quot; the Gandhi scion asked saying that Vijay Mallya was still enjoying in the&nbsp;UK, he further said. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Modiji gave loan worth Rs 33,000 crore for Tata Nano plant, almost free, charging the least possible rate. Using that money, they could have written off the loans of the farmers. Farmers in Gujarat are crying, they are being suppressed,&#39;&#39; he added.&nbsp;

Earlier BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused the UPA dispensation under the rule of&nbsp;Manmohan Singh of draining the country of its resources worth approximately 12-14 lakh crore through various corrupt scams.

&quot;Today when Rahul Gandhi is, in fact, challenging the World Bank&#39;s data saying that he knows as to how this data is produced, Rahul Gandhi should be answering whom he believes,&nbsp;his Pidi or the world bank,&quot; Patra added. 
&nbsp;

Addressing a public meeting in Gujarat, Rahul Gandhi said there was no ease of doing business in India as demonetisation and GST have destroyed everything.

The BJP on Wednesday attacked the Congress by saying that 'ease of doing corruption' has been replaced by the ease of doing business. "The difference between the UPA and NDA - 'The ease of doing corruption has been replaced by the ease of doing business'," tweeted Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Jaitley was responding to Rahul Gandhi's charge that there was no ease of doing business in India as demonetisation and GST destroyed everything. Addressing a public meeting in Gujarat's Bharuch, Gandhi said that BJP will "get a shock of their life" on the day of Gujarat election and added, "there was no ease of doing business in India as demonetisation and GST have destroyed everything". "The BJP has been in power for the last three years. How many Swiss account holders are in jail? Tell me," the Gandhi scion asked saying that Vijay Mallya was still enjoying in the UK, he further said. "Modiji gave loan worth Rs 33,000 crore for Tata Nano plant, almost free, charging the least possible rate. Using that money, they could have written off the loans of the farmers. Farmers in Gujarat are crying, they are being suppressed,'' he added. Earlier BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused the UPA dispensation under the rule of Manmohan Singh of draining the country of its resources worth approximately 12-14 lakh crore through various corrupt scams. "Today when Rahul Gandhi is, in fact, challenging the World Bank's data saying that he knows as to how this data is produced, Rahul Gandhi should be answering whom he believes, his Pidi or the world bank," Patra added.

'Ease of doing corruption' replaced by ease of doing business: Arun Jaitley taunts UPA

Momentous 1962

It was a year of many <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/how-energy-war-will-redefine-india-china-relations-post-doklam-20983">firsts &ndash; American John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth </a>in February, 1962, Beatles recorded their single &ldquo;Love me Do&rdquo;, America&rsquo;s sweetheart Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy which was also her last public appearance before her death a few months later.

Spider-man of Marvel made his maiden appearance in a comic.

Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 to win the 1962 World Cup and Pele became a household name the world over.

The United States created the Navy Seals and the first Walmart store opened in the same year. Oscar-winning movie Lawrence of Arabia opened for public in December.

And amid all this between October 20th to November 20th, when the Indian subcontinent trembled as India and China went to war, the Cuban missile crisis was at its height with America &amp; Russia close to World War III.

Why are countries attacked on weekends?

That date - October 20th, and as it happens had to be a Friday &ndash; ever wondered why an invasion is always executed on a Friday through to Sunday?

History has been witness to many wars breaking out on a weekend &ndash; the attack on Pearl Harbour by Japanese bombers on December, 7th 1941, also known as the &lsquo;day of infamy&rsquo; on a Sunday.

Operation Barbarossa: Hitler&#39;s Germany attacked Russia on Friday, 20th June 1941.

Nearly 150 years earlier&nbsp;Napolean&rsquo;s Grand Army began its assault on &lsquo;Fortress Russia&rsquo; on a Saturday, 24th June&nbsp;1815.

The logic is simple: An attack on a weekend is the ultimate &#39;surprise&nbsp;element&#39; as most offices are closed, bureaucrats are busy planning their holidays and the general public has its guard down, it is the best time as any to strike!

India &amp; China: Locked eye-to-eye

This time, India&#39;s&nbsp;Ministry of Defense officials and PM Jawaharlal Nehru knew beforehand war clouds had gathered over the Indo-Sino border&nbsp;because Indian and Chinese soldiers were locked in an eye-to-eye conformation at the LAC, reminiscent of the recent Doklam crisis.&nbsp;

Also, to make matters worse a few years earlier the Dalai Lama had escaped to India, walking all the way from his homeland in Tibet to take refuge in Nehru&rsquo;s India.

It had of course been less than 15 years since both China and India had gained their independence &ndash; India became free of British Raj on 15th August 1947 and China under Mao founded the People&rsquo;s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, naturally the two big powers were keen to assert themselves on the world stage.

As things stand, 55 years later both countries now see each other as &ldquo;frenemies&rdquo;, not in the Hindi-Chini bhai, bhai sense, but more or less as &ldquo;equal partners&rdquo; on the world stage in a post-cold war as the centre of the universe shifts towards BRICS and ASEAN.

After another 50 years, when India and China recall&nbsp;that dull, dreary day at the border on October 20, 1962, experts won&rsquo;t be thinking about what happened that day but perhaps how two men perhaps unwittingly may have brought the Tiger and Dragon together &ndash; Deng Xiaoping, who literally &#39;opened up&#39;&nbsp;China to the world in 1978 and India&#39;s then finance minister Manmohan Singh who spearheaded&nbsp;economic reforms in 1991.

The Net effect of Deng and Manmohan Singh would be seen as a turning point when historians get down to write about India-China and the relevance of October, 20th, 1962 in the lives of the two countries.

Economies win-or-lose wars

It is often said Armies do not win wars, economies make-or-break wars. Wars are won by nations who can constantly keep the tap open for the supply of food, raw material and other resources.&nbsp;

A closer look at the GDP of the two Asian giants reveals the real story.

China&#39;s GDP in 1962 was at $47.21 billion, slightly ahead of India&#39;s GDP at $41.6 billion. China had only one bank - &nbsp;People&rsquo;s Bank of China(PBC) &nbsp;- &nbsp;till 1978. However, after Deng&#39;s groundbreaking market reforms PBC turned into a monetary authority.

In the 80s, China began to be recognised as the &quot;Dragon in the making&quot; as Deng&#39;s reforms began to show results. India, however, was still a sleeping giant at that time, Indians had to wait for more than a decade until finance minister Manmohan Singh unveiled his&nbsp;reform agenda.

China, Japan and India currently dominate Asia&#39;s GDP rate.

In the post-1962 world, India and China find themselves on opposite poles - India as a rising power is now aligned with the US and China the dominant Asian giant, poised to overtake the US economy in the next decade is still trying to define its philosophy through a raft of policies, declarations and deals across the world.&nbsp;

China&rsquo;s supreme leader Xi Jinping, 64, would have very scant memories of that day as a nine-year-old. India has changed too, PM Modi, 67, who recently met Xi at the BRICS summit would also have to strain himself to remember the India-China conflict. As the clock turns and a new generation takes control on either side of LAC, an opportunity knocks.

The big question is: Is there a dreamer in our midst in India who can bring back the True spirit of Hindi, Chini bhai bhai and make the subcontinent the Centre of World Existence?

The search is on as the world awaits with baited breath&hellip;

We need a dreamer in our midst who can bring back the True spirit of Hindi, Chini bhai bhai and make the subcontinent the Centre of World Existence

Momentous 1962 It was a year of many firsts – American John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth in February, 1962, Beatles recorded their single “Love me Do”, America’s sweetheart Marilyn Monroe sang Happy Birthday to President Kennedy which was also her last public appearance before her death a few months later. Spider-man of Marvel made his maiden appearance in a comic. Brazil beat Czechoslovakia 3-1 to win the 1962 World Cup and Pele became a household name the world over. The United States created the Navy Seals and the first Walmart store opened in the same year. Oscar-winning movie Lawrence of Arabia opened for public in December. And amid all this between October 20th to November 20th, when the Indian subcontinent trembled as India and China went to war, the Cuban missile crisis was at its height with America & Russia close to World War III. Why are countries attacked on weekends? That date - October 20th, and as it happens had to be a Friday – ever wondered why an invasion is always executed on a Friday through to Sunday? History has been witness to many wars breaking out on a weekend – the attack on Pearl Harbour by Japanese bombers on December, 7th 1941, also known as the ‘day of infamy’ on a Sunday. Operation Barbarossa: Hitler's Germany attacked Russia on Friday, 20th June 1941. Nearly 150 years earlier Napolean’s Grand Army began its assault on ‘Fortress Russia’ on a Saturday, 24th June 1815. The logic is simple: An attack on a weekend is the ultimate 'surprise element' as most offices are closed, bureaucrats are busy planning their holidays and the general public has its guard down, it is the best time as any to strike! India & China: Locked eye-to-eye This time, India's Ministry of Defense officials and PM Jawaharlal Nehru knew beforehand war clouds had gathered over the Indo-Sino border because Indian and Chinese soldiers were locked in an eye-to-eye conformation at the LAC, reminiscent of the recent Doklam crisis. Also, to make matters worse a few years earlier the Dalai Lama had escaped to India, walking all the way from his homeland in Tibet to take refuge in Nehru’s India. It had of course been less than 15 years since both China and India had gained their independence – India became free of British Raj on 15th August 1947 and China under Mao founded the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949, naturally the two big powers were keen to assert themselves on the world stage. As things stand, 55 years later both countries now see each other as “frenemies”, not in the Hindi-Chini bhai, bhai sense, but more or less as “equal partners” on the world stage in a post-cold war as the centre of the universe shifts towards BRICS and ASEAN. After another 50 years, when India and China recall that dull, dreary day at the border on October 20, 1962, experts won’t be thinking about what happened that day but perhaps how two men perhaps unwittingly may have brought the Tiger and Dragon together – Deng Xiaoping, who literally 'opened up' China to the world in 1978 and India's then finance minister Manmohan Singh who spearheaded economic reforms in 1991. The Net effect of Deng and Manmohan Singh would be seen as a turning point when historians get down to write about India-China and the relevance of October, 20th, 1962 in the lives of the two countries. Economies win-or-lose wars It is often said Armies do not win wars, economies make-or-break wars. Wars are won by nations who can constantly keep the tap open for the supply of food, raw material and other resources. A closer look at the GDP of the two Asian giants reveals the real story. China's GDP in 1962 was at $47.21 billion, slightly ahead of India's GDP at $41.6 billion. China had only one bank - People’s Bank of China(PBC) - till 1978. However, after Deng's groundbreaking market reforms PBC turned into a monetary authority. In the 80s, China began to be recognised as the "Dragon in the making" as Deng's reforms began to show results. India, however, was still a sleeping giant at that time, Indians had to wait for more than a decade until finance minister Manmohan Singh unveiled his reform agenda. China, Japan and India currently dominate Asia's GDP rate. In the post-1962 world, India and China find themselves on opposite poles - India as a rising power is now aligned with the US and China the dominant Asian giant, poised to overtake the US economy in the next decade is still trying to define its philosophy through a raft of policies, declarations and deals across the world. China’s supreme leader Xi Jinping, 64, would have very scant memories of that day as a nine-year-old. India has changed too, PM Modi, 67, who recently met Xi at the BRICS summit would also have to strain himself to remember the India-China conflict. As the clock turns and a new generation takes control on either side of LAC, an opportunity knocks. The big question is: Is there a dreamer in our midst in India who can bring back the True spirit of Hindi, Chini bhai bhai and make the subcontinent the Centre of World Existence? The search is on as the world awaits with baited breath…

Forgetting 1962, can India and China be friends?

Congress Party&#39;s walkout from Rajya Sabha over Prime Minister Narendra Modi&rsquo;s speech was not without difference of opinion.

Sources confirmed to WION that Janardhan Dwivedi, AK Antony, KR Rehman, Karan Singh and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh themselves were of the view that too much should not be made of the PM&#39;s barb and Congress should continue to sit in the house.

Sources said that an agitated Kapil Sibal, deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, P Chidambaram, BK Hariprasad and Ahmad Patel decided otherwise. They took an immediate call and left the House.

This was the reason why Manmohan Singh and Janardhan Dwivedi, Karan Singh and AK Antony were the last to leave the Rajya Sabha as they continued to sit in the House.

Former finance minister P Chidambaram had to go back to Manmohan Singh to ask him to leave the House as other members had already left.

Even after the walkout was done, many Congress members were heard saying that PM&#39;s barb should have been downplayed. This section felt that purpose would have been served if they continued to sit and oppose the government in the House rather than giving the prime minister full room to say what he liked.

PM Narendra Modi in the house had said that Manmohan Singh had made an art of taking bath with a raincoat on as he remained untainted despite all scandals around him. The Opposition felt that the Prime Minister had lowered the level of political discourse but BJP countered by saying that Congress too had called the PM Hitler and Mussolini in the House.

Sources within the Congress party feel&nbsp;that Modi&#39;s comment on Manmohan Singh will have a lasting impact on the functioning of both the Houses.

(WION)

Narendra Modi said that Manmohan Singh had made an art of taking bath with a raincoat on as he remained untainted by scams in his govt

Congress Party's walkout from Rajya Sabha over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech was not without difference of opinion. Sources confirmed to WION that Janardhan Dwivedi, AK Antony, KR Rehman, Karan Singh and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh themselves were of the view that too much should not be made of the PM's barb and Congress should continue to sit in the house. Sources said that an agitated Kapil Sibal, deputy leader of the Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, P Chidambaram, BK Hariprasad and Ahmad Patel decided otherwise. They took an immediate call and left the House. This was the reason why Manmohan Singh and Janardhan Dwivedi, Karan Singh and AK Antony were the last to leave the Rajya Sabha as they continued to sit in the House. Former finance minister P Chidambaram had to go back to Manmohan Singh to ask him to leave the House as other members had already left. Even after the walkout was done, many Congress members were heard saying that PM's barb should have been downplayed. This section felt that purpose would have been served if they continued to sit and oppose the government in the House rather than giving the prime minister full room to say what he liked. PM Narendra Modi in the house had said that Manmohan Singh had made an art of taking bath with a raincoat on as he remained untainted despite all scandals around him. The Opposition felt that the Prime Minister had lowered the level of political discourse but BJP countered by saying that Congress too had called the PM Hitler and Mussolini in the House. Sources within the Congress party feel that Modi's comment on Manmohan Singh will have a lasting impact on the functioning of both the Houses. (WION)

Modi's jibe at Manmohan Singh: Congress' decision to walkout from Parliament not unanimous

The Congress has said that it will boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament for the rest of the budget session.&nbsp;

The party also said that it will try to rope in other opposition parties as well.&nbsp;

&quot;We will boycott the Prime Minister. We will not listen to him, but we will not assault the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister... He has demeaned his office repeatedly by his choice of words and language,&quot; Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma told reporters.

Congress this morning held a strategy meet of opposition parties including JD(U), Left, DMK and Samajwadi Party over the issue.

Sharma claimed that the other parties too will join them.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yesterday mocked his predecessor Manmohan Singh while replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President&#39;s Address in Rajya Sabha, saying one should learn the art of &quot;bathing with a raincoat on&quot; from him as there was not a single taint on him despite so many scams taking place during his regime.

Congress had yesterday taken strong exception to the &quot;raincoat&quot; jibe and staged a walkout and demanded an apology from him. Congress also disrupted the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha today and protested in the Lok Sabha.

The Congress leader said the Prime Minister &quot;is intolerant to criticism. He lives in denial. He is also arrogant. He has lowered the dignity of office repeatedly and has used language which is unacceptable in political debates&quot;.

&quot;He has dragged the political debates to unacceptable depths. We have been urging the PM to desist from doing this. But, he relishes using foul languages and insulting the Opposition,&quot; he said.

&quot;The Congress party consciously took this decision because we could not be sitting there as he was abusing our leaders, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh without any provocation from him, and insulted the memory of Indira Gandhi, who was martyred,&quot; he said.

Sharma said Modi violated the rules of business and ethics of the House and breached the privileges of members, as Manmohan Singh is a sitting member and the Prime Minister could not have said anything against him without informing him and bringing a substantive motion. This, he said, has been pointed out today.

&quot;This must be understood. We know what BJP is saying that we have disrespected the PM. The Prime Minister has insulted Indian democracy in Parliament and we cannot accept what he has done,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

(PTI)

The party also said that it will try to rope in other opposition parties as well

The Congress has said that it will boycott Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament for the rest of the budget session. The party also said that it will try to rope in other opposition parties as well. "We will boycott the Prime Minister. We will not listen to him, but we will not assault the dignity of the office of the Prime Minister... He has demeaned his office repeatedly by his choice of words and language," Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma told reporters. Congress this morning held a strategy meet of opposition parties including JD(U), Left, DMK and Samajwadi Party over the issue. Sharma claimed that the other parties too will join them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yesterday mocked his predecessor Manmohan Singh while replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Rajya Sabha, saying one should learn the art of "bathing with a raincoat on" from him as there was not a single taint on him despite so many scams taking place during his regime. Congress had yesterday taken strong exception to the "raincoat" jibe and staged a walkout and demanded an apology from him. Congress also disrupted the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha today and protested in the Lok Sabha. The Congress leader said the Prime Minister "is intolerant to criticism. He lives in denial. He is also arrogant. He has lowered the dignity of office repeatedly and has used language which is unacceptable in political debates". "He has dragged the political debates to unacceptable depths. We have been urging the PM to desist from doing this. But, he relishes using foul languages and insulting the Opposition," he said. "The Congress party consciously took this decision because we could not be sitting there as he was abusing our leaders, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh without any provocation from him, and insulted the memory of Indira Gandhi, who was martyred," he said. Sharma said Modi violated the rules of business and ethics of the House and breached the privileges of members, as Manmohan Singh is a sitting member and the Prime Minister could not have said anything against him without informing him and bringing a substantive motion. This, he said, has been pointed out today. "This must be understood. We know what BJP is saying that we have disrespected the PM. The Prime Minister has insulted Indian democracy in Parliament and we cannot accept what he has done," he said. (PTI)

Congress to boycott Prime Minister Modi in Parliament

Pandemonium erupted in Parliament&#39;s Upper House, Rajya Sabha today with the Congress staging a walkout after Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s jibe at former PM Manmohan Singh over 
corruption.

Modi, who was replying to the Motion of Thanks for the President&#39;s budget address said, &quot;For almost 35 years, Manmohan Singhji had a lot of influence on country&#39;s economic policies. Is there not a single taint on him. Only Manmohan Singh understands the art of taking bath in a bathroom wearing a raincoat.&quot;

He was alluding to the fact that the former PM&#39;s name was not singled out for corruption despite the fact that his UPA-led government was implicated in a series of corruption scandals including the allocation of coal blocks, spectrum and telecom licenses.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said it was &quot;unbecoming of a prime minister to malign a former prime minister in such a manner&quot;.

&quot;Walked out as protest, such harsh and ugly comments not acceptable. No PM in past made such comments about a former PM,&quot; the former finance minister said.

It is unbecoming of a prime minister to use such language for a former PM, unbecoming for anyone to say such harsh ugly statement,&quot; Chidambaram said.

Senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel said he was &quot;speechless&quot; after the PM&#39;s remarks. Congress politician Kapil Sibal described the allegations as &quot;unsustainable&quot; and said Modi was being &quot;arrogant&quot;.

&quot;Look at his arrogance, he chooses to speak when everyone else is done and then makes unsubstantiated allegations,&quot; Kapil Sibal said.
<centre><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GCZrkqGT-LM" width="560"></iframe><centre>
PM Modi also defended demonetisation, stating that no other country in the world had taken such a big decision and that it would be a case study across world universities. He said banks had received a lot of cash and interest rates had fallen down after demonetisation.

&quot;There wasn&#39;t a decision as big taken anywhere in the world.This can become a big case study for the world universities. The massive decision that India took,&quot; Modi said. Worlds&#39; economists don&#39;t know parameters to assess it. What India did will be a case study for economists worldwide,&quot; Modi added. &quot;You quote foreign economists, I can quote 10 of them on the fact that such an action hasn&#39;t been taken in the world ever.&quot;

Modi also said the fight against corruption was not political and that only political parties were opposing demonetisation. &quot;The government and the people were together during the period of demonetisation. For the first time, a horizontal divide was visible. Mood of the people completely different from mood of politicians,&quot; Modi said.

The Lower House of Parliament, Lok Sabha, yesterday, passed by a voice vote the Motion of Thanks to President&#39;s address amid protests by the Opposition led by the Congress party after the PM attacked them for &quot;dynastic politics.&quot; 
 
The President makes a special address to a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament at the beginning of the first session of the year, usually the Budget Session, outlining the legislative and policy achievements during the preceding year and the roadmap for the year ahead.

After being approved by the Cabinet, the address is followed by a motion of thanks moved in each House by ruling party MPs, followed by discussions that last up to three or four days and conclude with the PM replying to the points raised during the discussion.

After the PM&#39;s reply, MPs vote on the motion of thanks and some may move amendments to the address.

 
(WION)
</centre></centre>

The Congress staged a walkout from Parliament after Modi's remark that Manmohan Singh had been shielded from corruption allegations

Pandemonium erupted in Parliament's Upper House, Rajya Sabha today with the Congress staging a walkout after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's jibe at former PM Manmohan Singh over corruption. Modi, who was replying to the Motion of Thanks for the President's budget address said, "For almost 35 years, Manmohan Singhji had a lot of influence on country's economic policies. Is there not a single taint on him. Only Manmohan Singh understands the art of taking bath in a bathroom wearing a raincoat." He was alluding to the fact that the former PM's name was not singled out for corruption despite the fact that his UPA-led government was implicated in a series of corruption scandals including the allocation of coal blocks, spectrum and telecom licenses. Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said it was "unbecoming of a prime minister to malign a former prime minister in such a manner". "Walked out as protest, such harsh and ugly comments not acceptable. No PM in past made such comments about a former PM," the former finance minister said. It is unbecoming of a prime minister to use such language for a former PM, unbecoming for anyone to say such harsh ugly statement," Chidambaram said. Senior Congress leader Ahmad Patel said he was "speechless" after the PM's remarks. Congress politician Kapil Sibal described the allegations as "unsustainable" and said Modi was being "arrogant". "Look at his arrogance, he chooses to speak when everyone else is done and then makes unsubstantiated allegations," Kapil Sibal said. PM Modi also defended demonetisation, stating that no other country in the world had taken such a big decision and that it would be a case study across world universities. He said banks had received a lot of cash and interest rates had fallen down after demonetisation. "There wasn't a decision as big taken anywhere in the world.This can become a big case study for the world universities. The massive decision that India took," Modi said. Worlds' economists don't know parameters to assess it. What India did will be a case study for economists worldwide," Modi added. "You quote foreign economists, I can quote 10 of them on the fact that such an action hasn't been taken in the world ever." Modi also said the fight against corruption was not political and that only political parties were opposing demonetisation. "The government and the people were together during the period of demonetisation. For the first time, a horizontal divide was visible. Mood of the people completely different from mood of politicians," Modi said. The Lower House of Parliament, Lok Sabha, yesterday, passed by a voice vote the Motion of Thanks to President's address amid protests by the Opposition led by the Congress party after the PM attacked them for "dynastic politics." The President makes a special address to a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament at the beginning of the first session of the year, usually the Budget Session, outlining the legislative and policy achievements during the preceding year and the roadmap for the year ahead. After being approved by the Cabinet, the address is followed by a motion of thanks moved in each House by ruling party MPs, followed by discussions that last up to three or four days and conclude with the PM replying to the points raised during the discussion. After the PM's reply, MPs vote on the motion of thanks and some may move amendments to the address. (WION)

PM Modi's 'raincoat' jibe against ex-PM Manmohan Singh angers Congress

India&#39;s opposition Congress party will field former prime minister&nbsp;Dr. Manmohan Singh&nbsp;to unveil its manifesto for the Punjab assembly elections in Delhi on Monday.

Manmohan Singh is the head of the Punjab manifesto committee. The former prime minister had kept a low profile post the 2014 Lok Sabha debacle barring a couple of interventions, including the one he made during the Rajya Sabha debate on demonetisation.

The Congress campaign in 2009 for Lok Sabha (Indian parliament&#39;s lower house) had revolved around Singh with the tagline of &#39;Singh is King&#39;. It has still not been decided whether the former PM will only make a suo motto statement or lend himself to the function which intends to take on the Badals and Delhi ruling Aam Aadmi Party.

The Congress manifesto will focus on 33 per cent reservation for women in jobs and educational institutions, loan waiver for farmers and focus on employment generation in Punjab. The manifesto will also have a subset of green manifesto with schemes for green technologies.

It will also commit itself to finishing VVIP culture in Punjab. The manifesto will pledge itself to ending VVIP culture by ensuring nonpreferential treatment to any office holder. The manifesto uses the word &#39;sevabhav&#39; (service mentality) to encapsulate the ethic of work which shall prevail if it comes back to power. It is not without significance that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the word &#39;Pradhan Sevak&#39; (chief servant) to describe his work and office for the people of the country.

The manifesto will also take a strong but controversial position on water as the manifesto will state &#39;Punjab da pani, Punjab de vaste&#39;, which roughly translates as &#39;Punjab&rsquo;s water only for Punjab&#39;. The manifesto includes the concept of ex-servicemen as the guardians of governance at grassroots. This is important in the wake of One Rank One Pension leaders campaigning for the Congress in the Punjab and Uttarakhand elections.

The manifesto will also target the first family of Punjab, the Badals, for fiscal duress. It will say that the state&rsquo;s wealth is being misused as personal wealth by the current political dispensation and that Congress will put an end to it.

The manifesto will go into the details of agriculture and industry which is over 100 pages long. It will also focus on the all-pervasive drug problem in Punjab.

The manifesto will also make the tall promise of eradicating drug problem in Punjab within four weeks.

(WION)&nbsp;

The manifesto will focus on 33% reservation for women in jobs and educational institutions, loan waiver for farmers and creation of jobs

India's opposition Congress party will field former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to unveil its manifesto for the Punjab assembly elections in Delhi on Monday. Manmohan Singh is the head of the Punjab manifesto committee. The former prime minister had kept a low profile post the 2014 Lok Sabha debacle barring a couple of interventions, including the one he made during the Rajya Sabha debate on demonetisation. The Congress campaign in 2009 for Lok Sabha (Indian parliament's lower house) had revolved around Singh with the tagline of 'Singh is King'. It has still not been decided whether the former PM will only make a suo motto statement or lend himself to the function which intends to take on the Badals and Delhi ruling Aam Aadmi Party. The Congress manifesto will focus on 33 per cent reservation for women in jobs and educational institutions, loan waiver for farmers and focus on employment generation in Punjab. The manifesto will also have a subset of green manifesto with schemes for green technologies. It will also commit itself to finishing VVIP culture in Punjab. The manifesto will pledge itself to ending VVIP culture by ensuring nonpreferential treatment to any office holder. The manifesto uses the word 'sevabhav' (service mentality) to encapsulate the ethic of work which shall prevail if it comes back to power. It is not without significance that even Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the word 'Pradhan Sevak' (chief servant) to describe his work and office for the people of the country. The manifesto will also take a strong but controversial position on water as the manifesto will state 'Punjab da pani, Punjab de vaste', which roughly translates as 'Punjab’s water only for Punjab'. The manifesto includes the concept of ex-servicemen as the guardians of governance at grassroots. This is important in the wake of One Rank One Pension leaders campaigning for the Congress in the Punjab and Uttarakhand elections. The manifesto will also target the first family of Punjab, the Badals, for fiscal duress. It will say that the state’s wealth is being misused as personal wealth by the current political dispensation and that Congress will put an end to it. The manifesto will go into the details of agriculture and industry which is over 100 pages long. It will also focus on the all-pervasive drug problem in Punjab. The manifesto will also make the tall promise of eradicating drug problem in Punjab within four weeks. (WION)

India: Former PM Manmohan Singh to unveil Congress manifesto for Punjab elections

In a bid to corner the Opposition&#39;s Congress ahead of the Budget session, the ruling BJP launched a fresh attack on the party, accusing it of pulling strings to secure loans for liquor baron Vijay Mallya&#39;s now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines.

The BJP alleged the &quot;corrupt hands&quot; which helped Mallya get bank loans belonged to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram. The party quoted from purported letters written by Mallya to Manmohan Singh in which he sought his intervention and subsequent to which Kingfisher Airlines received loans.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi to explain at whose behest the defaulting company got loans.

Reacting to the allegations, former PM Manmohan Singh said that all Prime Ministers and others in the government receive letters from various captains of industry and that what was being talked about was just an ordinary piece of letter &quot;which any government in my position would have dealt with.&quot;

&ldquo;All PMs and other ministers in any govt receive representatives from various captains of industry which is passed on to appropriate authority. What I did was with full satisfaction of mine that we were not doing anything against law of the land. It was a normal routine transaction and therefore the letter that&rsquo;s being talked about is nothing but an ordinary piece of letter. It&rsquo;s an ordinary piece of letter which any Government in my position would have dealt with,&rdquo; he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Earlier in a press conference, the BJP dragged the Congress leadership into the row, alleging that the then principal secretary to the PM, Pulok Chatterjee, would &quot;snatch files&quot; from Manmohan Singh to take it to 10 Janpath, residence of Sonia Gandhi.&nbsp;

&quot;The hands which pulled the strings to ensure that Mallya received loans are visible now. They belonged to Chidambaram and Singh.

&quot;Did the hands of 10 Janpath also pull the strings? Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should come out in public to say at whose behest the loans were sanctioned to Kingfisher Airline,&quot; he said. &quot;It was after one such letter Mallya had written to Singh on November 14, 2011 that the Prime Minister told the media that &#39;we have to find ways to get Kingfisher out of trouble&#39;,&quot; Patra said. In another letter, he sought Singh&#39;s intervention to get funds from banks released immediately, the BJP leader claimed.

In one of the letters, Mallya said he was very &quot;relieved&quot; and &quot;pleased&quot;, apparently referring to developments in the interim, according to Patra. A top official in the Prime Minister&#39;s Office had spoken to ministries concerned following his letter to Singh and Mallya had mentioned it, he said.&nbsp;

Patra cited another letter the absconding liquor baron allegedly wrote to Chidambaram in March 2013, seeking his intervention to get a No Objection Certificate from the State Bank of India -- which headed the consortium of banks which had given unrecovered loans to the airlines, and its subsidiaries -- while his liquor company was in talks with Diageo for a deal.&nbsp;

Asked about Mallya&#39;s defence, Patra said the businessman said they would not listen to a defaulter and he should come back if he wanted to be heard.

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aZQpHi_lMhY" width="560"></iframe>

(This report first appeared in DNA)

 
&nbsp;

The BJP alleged that in 2011, former PM Manmohan Singh told the press 'we have to find ways to get Kingfisher out of trouble'.

In a bid to corner the Opposition's Congress ahead of the Budget session, the ruling BJP launched a fresh attack on the party, accusing it of pulling strings to secure loans for liquor baron Vijay Mallya's now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. The BJP alleged the "corrupt hands" which helped Mallya get bank loans belonged to the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram. The party quoted from purported letters written by Mallya to Manmohan Singh in which he sought his intervention and subsequent to which Kingfisher Airlines received loans. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra asked Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her deputy Rahul Gandhi to explain at whose behest the defaulting company got loans. Reacting to the allegations, former PM Manmohan Singh said that all Prime Ministers and others in the government receive letters from various captains of industry and that what was being talked about was just an ordinary piece of letter "which any government in my position would have dealt with." “All PMs and other ministers in any govt receive representatives from various captains of industry which is passed on to appropriate authority. What I did was with full satisfaction of mine that we were not doing anything against law of the land. It was a normal routine transaction and therefore the letter that’s being talked about is nothing but an ordinary piece of letter. It’s an ordinary piece of letter which any Government in my position would have dealt with,” he was quoted as saying by ANI. Earlier in a press conference, the BJP dragged the Congress leadership into the row, alleging that the then principal secretary to the PM, Pulok Chatterjee, would "snatch files" from Manmohan Singh to take it to 10 Janpath, residence of Sonia Gandhi. "The hands which pulled the strings to ensure that Mallya received loans are visible now. They belonged to Chidambaram and Singh. "Did the hands of 10 Janpath also pull the strings? Sonia and Rahul Gandhi should come out in public to say at whose behest the loans were sanctioned to Kingfisher Airline," he said. "It was after one such letter Mallya had written to Singh on November 14, 2011 that the Prime Minister told the media that 'we have to find ways to get Kingfisher out of trouble'," Patra said. In another letter, he sought Singh's intervention to get funds from banks released immediately, the BJP leader claimed. In one of the letters, Mallya said he was very "relieved" and "pleased", apparently referring to developments in the interim, according to Patra. A top official in the Prime Minister's Office had spoken to ministries concerned following his letter to Singh and Mallya had mentioned it, he said. Patra cited another letter the absconding liquor baron allegedly wrote to Chidambaram in March 2013, seeking his intervention to get a No Objection Certificate from the State Bank of India -- which headed the consortium of banks which had given unrecovered loans to the airlines, and its subsidiaries -- while his liquor company was in talks with Diageo for a deal. Asked about Mallya's defence, Patra said the businessman said they would not listen to a defaulter and he should come back if he wanted to be heard. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Routine for govt to receive requests for help: Manmohan Singh on Vijay Mallya 'bailout'

In a Right to Information (RTI) reply on the erstwhile National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister&#39;s Office has stated that Sonia Gandhi was entitled to same pay, allowance, salary and other facilities which a Union Council of Minister is entitled to, under the salaries and allowance of Ministers Act, 1952. 
&nbsp; 
WION was also able to access, through an RTI query, the expenditure made by the NAC over a period of 10 years from 2004-05 till 2014-15.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/rti-20170110100016.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
The information that was sought from the authorities (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

&nbsp;

The budgetary allocation was 236.15 million Indian Rupees, out of which the NAC spent 103.8 million Indian Rupees as official expenditure.&nbsp;

There was no allocations and expenditure for the fiscal year 2009-10 as the NAC was wound up on 30 April, 2008 as per the RTI reply and wasn&#39;t reconstituted immediately after the Lok Sabha elections in 2009.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/rti%201-20170110100436.JPG" />
<div class="media-description">
The details of budgetary allocation and expenditure on NAC as given by the authorities. (WION)
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

The National Advisory Council is in news again as the government is expected to make public the correspondence between the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.&nbsp;

Even WION had sought information through RTI on the correspondence between both of them but was considered &quot;too vague and wide&quot; by the authorities.&nbsp;

WION wanted to know as to how many times Sonia Gandhi had written letters to Manmohan Singh on the issues concerning the government policies.

Insiders say that the NAC was constituted to provide a platform to Sonia Gandhi for official correspondence with the government as she had relinquished the position of the Prime Minister.

It was felt by many, at that time, in the Congress that Sonia&rsquo;s authority may diminish without any official position in the government.&nbsp;

BJP had attacked the NAC during Lok Sabha elections as an extra-constitutional authority eroding the authority of the Prime Minister&rsquo;s office, whereas the Congress insists that the job of the NAC was to assist the government on the issues of workers and marginal classes. 
&nbsp; 
The dual power centres of the PMO and the NAC became the bane for the then Congress-led UPA government as people came to perceive the PMO headed by Manmohan Singh as less powerful than the NAC headed by Sonia Gandhi.

(WION)

The budgetary allocation was 236.15 million Indian Rupees, out of which the NAC spent 103.8 million Indian Rupees as official expenditure

In a Right to Information (RTI) reply on the erstwhile National Advisory Council (NAC), headed by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the Prime Minister's Office has stated that Sonia Gandhi was entitled to same pay, allowance, salary and other facilities which a Union Council of Minister is entitled to, under the salaries and allowance of Ministers Act, 1952. WION was also able to access, through an RTI query, the expenditure made by the NAC over a period of 10 years from 2004-05 till 2014-15. The information that was sought from the authorities (WION) × The budgetary allocation was 236.15 million Indian Rupees, out of which the NAC spent 103.8 million Indian Rupees as official expenditure. There was no allocations and expenditure for the fiscal year 2009-10 as the NAC was wound up on 30 April, 2008 as per the RTI reply and wasn't reconstituted immediately after the Lok Sabha elections in 2009. The details of budgetary allocation and expenditure on NAC as given by the authorities. (WION) × The National Advisory Council is in news again as the government is expected to make public the correspondence between the Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Even WION had sought information through RTI on the correspondence between both of them but was considered "too vague and wide" by the authorities. WION wanted to know as to how many times Sonia Gandhi had written letters to Manmohan Singh on the issues concerning the government policies. Insiders say that the NAC was constituted to provide a platform to Sonia Gandhi for official correspondence with the government as she had relinquished the position of the Prime Minister. It was felt by many, at that time, in the Congress that Sonia’s authority may diminish without any official position in the government. BJP had attacked the NAC during Lok Sabha elections as an extra-constitutional authority eroding the authority of the Prime Minister’s office, whereas the Congress insists that the job of the NAC was to assist the government on the issues of workers and marginal classes. The dual power centres of the PMO and the NAC became the bane for the then Congress-led UPA government as people came to perceive the PMO headed by Manmohan Singh as less powerful than the NAC headed by Sonia Gandhi. (WION)

India: Between 2004-05 and 2014-15, Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council spent less than half of its allocation

manmohan-singh

Manmohan Singh, News on Manmohan Singh, stories on Manmohan Singh, articles on Manmohan Singh, Manmohan Singh stories at Wion, Manmohan Singh news, Manmohan Singh latest news

manmohan singh