A few days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had alleged that Pakistan was trying to influence the results of the Gujarat polls by colluding with the Congress party especially Manmohan Singh, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said that the PM should be ashamed of making such "wild allegations" against Singh.
He also asserted that "no one in the world could point fingers at" the former PM.
Pawar made these statements while addressing a rally in Nagpur, called Jana Akrosh-Halla Bol', which was organised by the Congress and the NCP to focus on the grievances of farmers.
At the rally, he also spoke about how Modi had misinterpreted the meeting of Congress leaders with guests from Pakistan at Mani Shankar Aiyar's residence on December 6.
Though reports claimed that the meeting was held to discuss the Kashmir crisis and the bilateral relationship between the two countries, Modi had alleged that Congress leaders including Singh were conspiring with Pakistan to ensure the BJP's defeat in Gujarat Assembly elections.
Modi should be ashamed, says Pawar
Pawar not only rubbished the allegations but also asked Modi to be shameful about the accusations.
"Shame on you, Prime Minister, for making such allegations! You have made the allegations against this country's former prime minister (Manmohan Singh) and former defence officials," Pawar, the former defence minister was quoted as saying by the Deccan Chronicle.
Pawar also said that Modi was making the allegations against Congress in order to shift the attention away from the BJP government's failures.
"Modi is invoking Pakistan and making wild allegations against renowned people to divert the people's attention from his government's failures and trying to get political mileage out of it," Pawar allged
"A different kind of picture is being witnessed in the country today in terms of the attitude of the nation's leadership, which is diverting the attention of the people from important issues," he added.
Pawar also cited the farmer's crisis in Maharashtra as an example of the failure of the Modi government.
'No one can point fingers at Manmohan'
He even asked Modi to stop blaming Singh as none can blame Singh of any wrongdoing.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi just two days back in his speech had raised the suspicion against former PM Manmohan Singh, former Rajya Sabha MP Mani Shankar Aiyar and others, alleging that Pakistan was trying to influence the Assembly elections in Gujarat. The PM making such kind of wild allegations against former PM Manmohan Singh, at whom no one in the world could point fingers, is very shameful and not in the interest of the country. It is very sad that an attempt is being made by the PM himself on destroying the tradition of the country," Pawar said.
Apart from Pawar, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress member Ghulam Nabi Azad also condemned Modi for the allegations against Singh.
"The Prime Minister has stooped so low that he is levelling allegations against the people of his own country," Azad said.
