Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in aninterview to Hindustan Times, attacked PM Modi for comprising the nationalsecurity and said that in these five years, government has done nothing than tomake attractive catch phrases.

Singh said, “Compromise on India’sNational Security is unacceptable. 40 of our brave CRPF soldiers were martyredin the Pulwama terror attack at the most secure National Highway in thecountry. This is a grave intelligence and national security failure. Sincethen, it has come out that CRPF and BSF were requesting for airlifting thesoldiers but the Modi Government refused it.” He further said that majorterrorist attacks have happened in Pampore, Uri, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, SunjwanArmy Camp, and even the Amarnath Yatra.

Former PM also said that multiplesurgical strikes took place during UPA tenure too. He added, “For us, military operationswere meant for strategic deterrence and giving a befitting reply to anti-Indiaforces than to be used for vote garnering exercises. In the past 70 years, agovernment in power never had to hide behind the valour of our armed forces.Such attempts to politicize our forces are shameful and unacceptable.”

Former PM also said the Modi Government is riding on emptyrhetoric and attacked that the Modi Government has been an utter failure on theissue of national security. In the interview, he said, “In the last five years,terror attacks in Jammu & Kashmir alone have gone up by 176%; ceasefireviolations at the border by Pakistan have increased by 1,000%. There have been17 major terror attacks on our security installations.”

Praising Congress General SecretaryPriyanka Gandhi, the former PM said that the latter has a natural connect tothe Congress party workers. He said that the general secretary is working forsolving the problems at the grass root level.

Former Prime Minister also said thatthe PM’s chair carries with it an onerous responsibility and untiring hard workin the service of people. He added, “There is no scope for complacency.Everyone, who has occupied the PM’s chair and has worked tirelessly, has notdone any favour to the country,” and attacked PM Modi by saying, “Self-promotingadvertisement of the job profile reflects a lack of gravitas on part of thepresent incumbent. By seeking to publicize the essential pre- requisitesexpected of the Prime Minister’s position, the dignity of the office he holdsis being lowered.”

Attacking BJP’s catchphrase “Hard Workvs Harvard,” Singh said that how the BJP can feel that people who went toHarvard, or IITs or IIMs do not work hard. He cited various examples of peoplelike Savitribai Phule, Dr. BR Ambedkar, Lal Bahadur Shashtri and Dr. APJ AbdulKalam.

Dr. Manmohan Singh is himself from Oxbridgeand had various minister who were from Ivy League in his cabinet.