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Singh was speaking at the launch of a book “Fables of Fractured Times” by former union minister Manish Tewari where former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah was also present.
“My advice to the prime minister is that he should exercise due restraint becoming of the office of the prime minister,” Manmohan Singh said. Asked about his advice to the prime minister at a time when the level of public discourse was falling, especially during elections, Singh said whenever he as prime minister used to go to BJP-ruled states, his relations with chief ministers were “very good”.
He said Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan would certify his claim that during the UPA rule, BJP-ruled states were not discriminated against.
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Singh also recalled that he was asked earlier if he would again used the words against Modi that he had said in 2014, and added that he would “not repeat” them. He had reportedly said that it would be a “disaster” for India if Modi became the prime minister.
The Congress has been questioning Modi over his aggressive campaigning during assembly elections where he has attacked state leadership of rival parties, saying such conduct does not behove a prime minister.
But the BJP has dismissed the criticism, saying the country has got a “talking Prime Minister” and the opposition fears his popularity among the people.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh had earlier said that Narendra Modi was “not prime ministerial” in his election campaign as he indulged in “falsification of history and abuse of political rivals”.
He said Modi should not demand respect but should command respect of people as prime minister. “He is not prime ministerial in his campaign. After all Prime Minister is Prime Minister. Whoever the individual, the position of PM must be respected,” Ramesh had said.