Rather than admitting mistakes, BJP Govt blaming Nehru for people's problems: Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh said that the BJP’s nationalism was “fake” and was based on the British policy of “divide and rule”

The BJP had been in power for more than seven years and was still blaming first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for the problems of the people, former Prime Minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh said on February 17 in a scathing attack against the Modi-led Government.

Targeting the Central Government on a host of issues, including the farmers’ agitation, foreign policy, price rise and unemployment, Mr. Singh said ahead of the Punjab elections on February 20 that the BJP’s nationalism was “fake” and was based on the British policy of “divide and rule”.

The Congress played the message delivered in Punjabi at a press conference in Chandigarh.

According to Mr. Singh, the Government had proved to be a “complete failure” on the issue of foreign policy. The Chinese Army, he alleged, was occupying “our pious land for the last one year but efforts are being made to bury this issue”.

“Our relations with neighbouring nations are also deteriorating,” Mr. Singh said.

Further targeting the Centre on foreign policy matters, Mr. Singh said, “Old friends are constantly alienating from us, while our relations with neighbouring countries are also deteriorating.”

“I hope that now the ruling dispensation has come to understand that the relations of the countries do not improve by forcefully embracing the leaders, playing on a swing with them or going for uninvited biryani,” he said, in a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.