Nobody obeys the Prime Minister : Jaswant Singh

Kolkata, Nov 26(UNI) Criticising the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's lack of governance, former Union Minister and BJP leader Jaswant Singh today said ''nobody obeys Prime Minister Manmohan Singh''.

''It is sad that the Prime Minister's writ does not run. Nobody obeys him,'' Mr Singh said during an interactive session with the members of Merchants' Chamber of Commerce.

''India needs a government which governs and also has the moral authority to run the nation. But this government has neither any 'izzat' (honour), nor any moral authority,'' he said.

Mr Singh, who had served both as External Affairs and Finance Minister during the Prime Ministership of Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said he had been in Parliament for seven terms, but never had he seen ''so much disarray''.

Coming down heavily on the UPA Government for 'neglecting' the country's security, Mr Singh said critical decisions on security were not being taken, and as a result, the country was suffering.

Attacking the Manmohan Singh Government for its 'failure' on the economic front, he said the current economic slowdown was the result of a lack of confidence in the Government.

''The Indian economy has come to a standstill. Whatever growth the country has seen is because of individual enterprises. Trade, Industry and Banking cannot go forward confidently if you don't have confidence in the Government. The banks have money but they don't have the confidence to lend,'' he said.

Describing the Maoists as the biggest threat to the country's internal security, Mr Singh alleged that the Congress had in the past come to an understanding with the underground outfit for bringing them to power in Andhra Pradesh.

''India is on the doorstep of a civil war. If we do not wake up now it may be too late,'' he said.

Asked what should India's response be in the wake of the grenade attack at Bangkok airport earlier in the day, Mr Jaswant Singh said, ''There are two issues. One, it is in India's neighbourhood. In recent years the situation in India's neighbourhood has been one of chaos. This is against our national security. It is not the ideal situation if India takes a backseat on these developments.'' Criticising the Government also for its 'non existent' foreign policy, Mr Singh said the chaotic situation in the country's neighbourhood was not in the interest of its security.

''But, at the same time, it is happening beyond our borders. So I think India should respond if Thailand asks for support,'' he added.

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