A day after Parliament witnessed a verbal dual between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley over prevailing economic conditions, the senior BJP leader on Saturday said it is “extremely dangerous” when the head of the country becomes “cynical, pessimistic and cannot suggest a roadmap.”
Addressing party workers at a function, Mr Jaitley said Dr Singh’s attitude was one of “anger” and “pessimism” and this shows he has “run out of ideas” for reviving the economy.
Referring to the Prime Minister’s statement on Friday in the Upper House and the subsequent debate, Mr Jaitley said instead of the roadmap to improve the economy, “he was angry and pessimistic. This attitude means you have no ideas on how to revive the economy. You have run out of ideas.”
He said Dr Singh’s attitude reminded him of the habit of lawyers of banging the desk “when they cannot bang the facts or bang the law as they are weak on both”. Mr Jaitley insisted that there is a strong anti-incumbency against the UPA and claimed that corruption and economic failure will be prominent issues in the next general elections.
Hitting back at the government on the corruption issue, the senior Opposition leader said, “Till Friday, he (PM) had been maintaining a silence. To be silent for a long time is not good. Silence is golden only when you cannot think of an answer.”