“Sonia Gandhi unconstitutional authority during UPA,” Modi

Modi hosts Manmohan to talk economics

• BJP president Amit Shah taking a swipe at Dr Singh’s statement on corruption: “I accept the PM was not corrupt, but it was his job to ensure the same of his ministers.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi  invited former PM Manmohan Singh for a discussion on the economy and foreign policy though the two men publicly exchanged barbs.

The meeting at 7 Race Course Road took place hours after Dr. Singh sharply attacked the BJP-led government, raising speculation in political circles on its significance. Especially as Mr. Modi immediately posted a tweet, accompanied by photographs of the two smiling and shaking hands: “Very happy to meet Dr Manmohan Singhji & welcome him back to 7RCR. We had a great meeting.”

Earlier,addressing a National Students’ Union of India convention, Dr. Singh was sharply critical of the Modi government, saying it was “harping” on corruption to divert people’s attention to non-issues. He also stressed that under it, institutions of democracy were under threat and the entire edifice of the welfare state was being dismantled in the name of promoting faster economic growth.

The meeting  came when Modi has dismissed the Congress president’s accusation that the NDA government was controlled by “one person”, said, “perhaps, she is referring to the fact that earlier extra-constitutional authorities were the ones really wielding power.”

Significantly, the former Prime Minister also used the NSUI convention to defend his own record against accusations made by former aides of permissiveness towards corruption in his government: “I have not used my public office to enrich myself, my family members of my friends,” he said.

Dr Singh also took on the BJP for misleading people by talking of a policy paralysis during Congress rule: “When our government left, India was the second fastest-growing economy. When we left office in 2014, in the past 10 years our economy grew at an average annual rate of 8.5%,” he stressed.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a scathing attack on Congress president Sonia Gandhi, suggesting that she had been an “unconstitutional” authority exercising “real” power over the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) during the 10-year rule of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), whereas power was now wielded only by constitutional means.

The PM further dismissed the Congress president’s accusation that NDA government was showing “obstinate arrogance” in Parliament and that it was a government by “one person”, saying: “Perhaps, she is referring to the fact that earlier extra-constitutional authorities were the ones really wielding power”.

Talking to media in India PM also responded to the criticism that all powers were concentrated in the PMO. “Your question is loaded. It would have been better if this question had been asked when an unconstitutional authority was sitting above the constitutional authority and exercising power over the PMO”.

He emphasised that “the Prime Minister and the PMO are very much part of the constitutional scheme, not outside it”.

In response to Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s “suit-boot ki sarkar” jibe, Modi said that the party had not been able to “digest” its crushing defeat in Lok Sabha polls even after one year.”The Congress has suffered a crushing defeat and ended with less than 50 seats. Even after a year, they are not able to digest this. The people have punished them for their sins of omission and commission.”Taking a dig at the Congress party, Modi further said: “We thought they learn from this, but it looks as though they are proving right the earlier saying that if con is the opposite of pro, then Congress is the opposite of progress.”

“Is this not ‘achche din‘?” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said linking his election promise of ‘good days coming’ to a year of no scandals under his watch.”You tell me, if there is not a single scandal, is this not ‘achche din‘?,” he said