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HomePoliticsModi should exercise restraint like a Prime Minister must, says Manmohan Singh

Modi should exercise restraint like a Prime Minister must, says Manmohan Singh

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Manmohan Singh said Modi is the Prime Minister of all Indians, and his conduct must be ‘worthy and consistent with the obligation he has as PM’.

New Delhi: With the level of political discourse dropping on the campaign trail every day, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday advised PM Narendra Modi to consider “due restraint” in his public speeches.

Singh was speaking at the launch of Congress leader Manish Tewari’s book Fables of Fractured Times in New Delhi.

Personal attacks

In the ongoing campaign ahead of assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other states, many leaders have used derogatory language.

PM Modi had attacked Congress leaders for making personal remarks against his parents. This came after a senior Congress leader, Vilas Muttemwar, said everybody knows about Rahul Gandhi’s father but no one knows the name of Narendra Modi’s father.

The video of the former Union minister making these controversial remarks at a Congress meeting in Rajasthan soon went viral.

In response, referring to Gandhi, PM Modi said the Congress leaders were indulging in such politics at the behest of a naamdar (dynast).


Also read: History is being kinder to Manmohan Singh, and so is his own Congress party


Singh’s advice

Singh was asked to comment on how to maintain dignity and decorum in public discourse, cutting across party lines.

“My advice to the Prime Minister is to exercise due restraint that is becoming of a Prime Minister. When the PM goes to states that are not ruled by the BJP, he has an obligation to not use the language that has now become common practice,” the economist-politician said.

Senior leader of the National Conference Farooq Abdullah had said Modi is the prime minister of the entire country, and Singh agreed, urging the PM to set an example.

“He is the Prime Minister of all Indians. His conduct must be worthy and consistent with the obligation he has as PM,” Singh said.

Singh maintained that he and his Congress-led UPA government never discriminated against BJP-ruled states, but the Modi government is doing it every day.

“We never discriminated against the BJP-ruled states. (Madhya Pradesh CM) Shivraj Singhji would himself testify to this. We paid the respect that was deserved,” he said.


Also read: Certain forces using India’s diversity to pose a threat to its unity: Manmohan Singh


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7 COMMENTS

  1. Prof P K Sharma easily forgets that the same Man Mohan singh said Modi will be a disaster as a Prime Minister which was a very personal comment. How congress treated all the opposition ruled states especially Gujarat Mr Singh and Prof Sharma conveniently forgets and Prof Sharma is economical with truth in most of his comments. You can dislike Modi but state facts and call a spade a spade being a Professor.

    • Mr.Hariharan Srinivasan !
      I am amused to go through your response to my comments on the story in question
      and thank you very much for the same !

      You admitted that I have been “economical with truth ” it is indeed more than enough
      for me, my dear ! The economics yardstick can be applied in fiscal affairs and matters !
      The TRUTH is truth because there are neither half truths nor economical truths !

      Dr Manmohan Singh and his Congress Party shrank to its worst ever tally of 44 seats
      in the annals of Lok Sabha Polls because of their follies and wrong doings in the 2014
      Lok Sabha Polls ! Congress did face the music for whatever it did during ten years of
      its regime facing the wrath of the electorate !
      Is now Congress a role model for BJP and NaMo ?

      In my comments, I felt that NaMo as Prime Minister has to show magnanimity, grace,
      dignity and largeheartedness because he is the Prime Minister of India, none else is ?
      He has to conduct himself as Prime Minister because he should not behave as a leader
      of the opposition ! Ironically, most of the time , he forgets that he is the PM not in the
      opposition !

      Prof PK Sharma, Freelance Journalist
      Pom Anm Nest, Barnala (Punjab)

  2. His words are devoid of any meaning as long as he fails to counsel similar advice to Rahul, Tharoor, Mani Shankar Iyer, Muttemwar, Raj Babbar, Divya Spandana, etc etc. This lofty ‘preaching’ ONLY to Modi sounds like a ‘LOYAL’ Congressman reading out a handed script. There is NO wisdom in this; only his own party oriented criticism of Modi.

  3. Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist, Barnala(Punjab)

    Dr.Manmohan Singh has given a very
    wise,meaningful and just piece of advice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi !

    But ironically, the problem with NaMo
    is that from where he should manage finer traits of broadmindedness, grace, magnanimity and “real” national
    spirit?

    Poor NaMo who has been echoing and singing a political song of “Congress Mukt Bharat “(Congress Free India) all these almost more than four and a half years how can he act upon the advice of Dr.Manmohan Singh former Prime
    Minister belonging to Congress Party eventhough it may very well be in the best interests of the nation ?

    Instead of acting upon these tips of a Congressman- Dr.Manmohan Singh, NaMo will now have to exert too much to coin a new ploy(Jumla) to counter a world fame economist !

    NaMo has yet to learn the art of believing and conducting himself as the Prime Minister of “INDIA” in his first term but amazingly he is eyeing second term in the hot seat !

    Prof PK Sharma,Freelance Journalist
    Pom Anm Nest,Barnala (Punjab)

  4. Considering the number of book launches taking place nowadays, India must be the most well read nation now. That should also be reflected in the refinement of our national discourse. Like air quality after Diwali, it tends to dip at election time.

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