Nobody obeys Manmohan Singh: Jaswant

Kolkata, Nov 26 (IANS) Attacking the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for throwing the country into 'disarray', senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jaswant Singh Wednesday said that 'nobody obeys Prime Minister Manmohan Singh'.

'It's a sad fact that the prime minister's writ does not run.

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Nobody obeys the prime minister,' Jaswant Singh said during an interaction with the members of the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce here.

The leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha sharply criticised the UPA for its 'lack of governance'.

Pointing out that he has served seven terms in parliament, Jaswant Singh said: 'Never in the past have I seen so much disarray as at present.'

He came down heavily on the UPA for neglecting the country's security.

'Decision making is absent. Critical decisions on security are not being taken. As a result, the country's security is suffering,' said Jaswant Singh who held key portfolios like external affairs, defence and finance in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of Atal Behari Vajpayee.

He said India needed a government which governed and also had the moral authority to run the nation. 'But this government has neither any izzat (honour), nor any moral authority.'

Talking about the economic downturn, he said the crisis was largely a result of the lack of confidence in the government.

'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.

He said while the UPA never really initiated any development activity, it reintroduced over-governance which the NDA had made a thing of the past.

'The Indian economy has come to a standstill. Till now we are seeing growth because of the enterprise of individuals.'

Jaswant Singh also lambasted the Congress for aligning with 'divisive forces like the Maoists'.

Describing the Maoist rebels as the biggest threat to internal security, he said: 'The Congress had in the past come to an understanding with the Left ultras for coming to power in Andhra Pradesh.'

Expressing apprehension about the situation in the country, he said: 'India is on the doorstep of a civil war. If we don't wake up now it may be too late.'

Asked what should India's response be in the wake of the grenade attack at Bangkok airport earlier in the day, 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.'

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

'But for the past four and half years, the UPA government's foreign policy has been non-existent,' said Jaswant Singh.