The winter Session started off to a rocky start again after a four-day break, with opposition leaders moving from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on former PM Manmohan Singh to raising the issue of Anantkumar Hegde's remarks on secularism.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley addressed the Congress’ criticism of PM Modi who had accused the Opposition party of colluding with Pakistan during the campaigning for Gujarat elections saying, "The prime minister, in his statements or speeches, did not question nor did he mean to question the commitment of either former prime minister Manmohan Singh or former vice president Hamid Ansari towards the nation. Any such perception is completely erroneous."
We hold these leaders at a very high esteem and also their commitment to the country.Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier alleged that Manmohan SIngh, along with few Congress party leaders, had met Pakistan officials to discuss and collude on Gujarat Assembly elections.
“Yesterday, there was a discussion across media that Pakistan’s high commissioner, Pakistan’s former foreign minister, India’s former vice president, and India’s former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a meeting at Mani Shankar’s house. The meeting lasted three hours. And the next day, Mani Shankar calls Modi ‘neech”/”low-level’…”
“This is a serious matter, that Pakistan, being a sensitive issue.. at the time of elections, what could be the reason to have such a secret meeting with the Pakistan high commissioner? And while elections are on in Gujarat, what is the reason for this type of secret meeting?”
Manmohan Singh, in response, had called the allegations "innuendos and falsehoods", adding that he did not discuss the Assembly elections with anyone during the dinner.
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