A PM not in command: BJP mocks Manmohan Singh

New Delhi, May 22: Attacking Dr Manmohan Singh as ''a Prime Minister not in command'', the BJP today said he will go down in history as the only Prime Minister who never faced people and the electorate.

In the 66-page ''charge sheet'' brought out to highlight the failures of three years of UPA government in office, the BJP said the Prime Minister who should be the Chief Executive Officer of the India Inc was the head of the government for 'namesake' only and his political powers stood ''usurped'' by some other person. Under this extra-constitutional arrangement, Dr Singh was not a leader of his own party and was not in command over his own government and was answerable to his ''boss'' than to people, the BJP alleged.

Referring to his relection to Rajya Sabha from Asom, the BJP said he was not a member of Lok Sabha and by refraining from contesting Lok Sabha even from a safe seat, he had proved that he is wary of facing people, the backbone of democracy. His own ministers were making policy announcements to public without taking the Prime Minister into confidence and the PMO had to write to them that they should keep it informed about the policy matters. The Government, the document alleged, suffered from ''collective irresponsibility syndrome''.

In the chapter concerning Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the BJP said the ''self confessed renunciator'' had played a masterly stroke by becoming the ''Super PM of the UPA''. The PM had to create an extra-constitutional authority, National Advisory Council to accomodate Ms Gandhi who did not have patience to wait even for a fortnight. ''Power has gone into her head, so also the servility of the Congressmen,'' the BJP noted.

The Congress was taking a poke at Jaya Bachchan for heading the Film Development Council because of soured relations with Bachchan family. The move boomeranged on the Congress leader herself because being an MP she chaired the National Advisory Council.

Since the post was equivalent to Cabinet rank, a petition seeking her disqualification was filed with the President. To overcome the embarrassment, she 'faked' another renunciation drama by quitting the Lok Sabha membership as well as the NDC Chairpersonship.

Parliament amended the Disqualification Bill 2006 exempting 56 posts including the Chairperson of NDC from being considered as office of profit.

''If she was convinced that she did not commit any violation of law, she should have faced the case before the Election Commission,'' the BJP said.

UNI