By IANS,
Agra : Accusing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of “running away” from a public debate on poll issues, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jailey has said the Congress leader is “frustrated” and “weak”.
“Manmohan Singh’s recent utterances clearly demonstrate his frustration. Running away from a debate with the BJP on crucial national issues only reflects his weakness,” Jaitley said at a rally of BJP youth workers here Sunday evening.
“World over, national televised debates are conducted to assist voters to make up their minds. But the prime minister has been reluctant to participate in one under the pretext that he is not a good speaker,” he added.
Jaitley, the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh in-charge, claimed the state will be the game changer in the Lok Sabha elections.
“Uttar Pradesh will be the chief deciding factor. Vajpayeeji became prime minister because Uttar Pradesh gave a large number of MPs to the BJP. This state decides which way the government will go,” he said.
Appealing to the youth workers to ensure the party’s victory, Jaitley claimed the BJP faced no major challenge from the Congress.
“The Congress is nowhere in the race because the voters know that it no longer has any ideological commitment. All that it has done during its term in office is to misuse the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation),” he said.
Jaitley accused both the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of promoting politicians with criminal records and ignoring development.
“People are fed up of BSP misrule after being disillusioned by the Samajwadi Party government,” he said.
“Though the BSP came to power on the promise that it would deal with criminal elements, it has given tickets to 18 candidates with questionable records. Leaders of both the parties have been under the CBI scanner,” he added.