Manmohan Singh attacks Modi again on Pakistan collusion issue ahead of second phase

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh hit out at successor Narendra Modi again on Wednesday, accusing him of spreading "falsehood and canards" to score political points.

The sharply-worded attack was virtually the same as the written statement that the 86-year-old Congress leader had released on Monday following Modi's remarks insinuating that Singh had colluded with Pakistan in the Gujarat polls.

"Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable," Singh said in the message released to TV stations.

The second salvo by Singh in three days serves to ensure that there is no let up in Congress' charge against Modi ahead of tomorrow's polls in 93 constituencies of Gujarat.

The remaining 89 constituencies voted in the first phase on December 9. Results will be known on December 18. The campaign was marked by a fiesty and often acrimonious speeches where Modi and Congress president-elect Rahul Gandhi locked horns repeatedly.

"I am deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood and canards being spread to score political points in a lost cause by none less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said and demanded an apology.

Singh and Modi ran into each other earlier today at an event to pay homage to the victims of the 2001 Parliament attack, and greeted each other briefly.

OneIndia News (with agency inputs)