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I am not in race for PM`s office: Manmohan Singh
Kanpur, Apr 29: Fromer Union minister and senior Congress leader Manmohan Singh today said he was not in the race for the prime ministership.
Kanpur, Apr 29: Fromer Union minister and senior
Congress leader Manmohan Singh today said he was not in the
race for the prime ministership.
"No I am not in the race for the post," he said while talking to media persons
here.
When asked to comment on the recent statement by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his "retirement", Singh said "I have got great regards for him and I will not say anything on this issue." Manmohan singh terming the BJP as an ''opportunist'', said the party never cared for Muslims in the country till now but suddenly had promised them a better deal which revealed their double standards.
''The Muslims cannot forget the Gujarat tragedy. Even the judiciary had to intervene in the Best Bakery case to prevent miscarriage of justice,'' he said.
Singh, the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, said that economic reforms in the country were initiated by the Congress governments but the NDA failed to continue it further, owing to its wrong economic policies. The congress government took steps for modernisation of Indian industries and revival of sick industries but the Vajpayee government opened doors for foreign investors in all sectors resulting in the closure of industrial units, he said.
''Even the profit making public sector units (PSUs) were being sold at throw-away prices and large number of employees were retrenched from these units,'' he alleged.
He stated that if the Congress government came to power it would release a package to revive the sick units. ''There is ample scope for the textile industry in Kanpur, and steps would be taken to restart the closed textile units as soon as possible,'' he maintained.
Singh said the BJP had promised to remove ''fear, hunger and corruption'' but the same prevailed during the NDA's rule. Even the most reputed financial institutions like the UTI could not be saved from corruption, he added.
In reply to a poser, he said Congress president Sonia Gandhi was the undisputed leader of the party and ''she would be the Prime Minister of the country if Congress came to power.''
Bureau Report
When asked to comment on the recent statement by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his "retirement", Singh said "I have got great regards for him and I will not say anything on this issue." Manmohan singh terming the BJP as an ''opportunist'', said the party never cared for Muslims in the country till now but suddenly had promised them a better deal which revealed their double standards.
''The Muslims cannot forget the Gujarat tragedy. Even the judiciary had to intervene in the Best Bakery case to prevent miscarriage of justice,'' he said.
Singh, the leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, said that economic reforms in the country were initiated by the Congress governments but the NDA failed to continue it further, owing to its wrong economic policies. The congress government took steps for modernisation of Indian industries and revival of sick industries but the Vajpayee government opened doors for foreign investors in all sectors resulting in the closure of industrial units, he said.
''Even the profit making public sector units (PSUs) were being sold at throw-away prices and large number of employees were retrenched from these units,'' he alleged.
He stated that if the Congress government came to power it would release a package to revive the sick units. ''There is ample scope for the textile industry in Kanpur, and steps would be taken to restart the closed textile units as soon as possible,'' he maintained.
Singh said the BJP had promised to remove ''fear, hunger and corruption'' but the same prevailed during the NDA's rule. Even the most reputed financial institutions like the UTI could not be saved from corruption, he added.
In reply to a poser, he said Congress president Sonia Gandhi was the undisputed leader of the party and ''she would be the Prime Minister of the country if Congress came to power.''
Bureau Report