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Better late than never, says Manmohan

NEW DELHI: A day after the Congress withdrew the candidature of Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar, allegedly involved in the 1984 Sikh riots, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the decision showed that the party was sensitive to the sentiments of Sikhs. “Der aaye durust aaye [Better late than never],” he said at an interaction with the Indian Women’s Press Corps here on Friday.

Denying the charge that the government had manipulated the Central Bureau of Investigation to give a “clean chit” to Mr. Tytler, Dr. Singh said although the CBI was “technically” under the Prime Minister, neither he nor Minister of State Prithviraj Chavan was informed or consulted in the matter. “Any charge of manipulation of the CBI report is wrong.”

Answering a number of questions, Dr. Singh was particularly combative in responding to Bhartiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani’s charge that he was a “weak” Prime Minister.

“I cannot match Mr. Advani in public speaking or assertiveness. You need a Prime Minister who is strong-willed to act. Mr. Advani was present when Babri Masjid was demolished. Had he been a strong leader he would have staked his reputation to prevent it,” Dr. Singh said.

“Using harsh language does not resolve any problem and only accentuates conflict. By merely talking loudly one does not become strong or weak. Compare Mr. Advani’s record as Home Minister with ours. When terrorists hijacked the Indian Airlines aircraft, the BJP sent their Finance Minister to negotiate with the Taliban government in Kandhahar. They freed three terrorists, one of whom became the founder of Jaish-e-Mohammad. What was the role of Narendra Modi in the Godhra carnage? Yet Mr. Advani says he is a good Chief Minister.”

Recalling the terrorist attacks on the Red Fort, Parliament, the Akshardham Temple and several other places during the NDA regime, Dr. Singh said that, in comparison, during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the United Progressive Alliance government sent expert commandos who killed nine terrorists and caught one. “We launched a major diplomatic effort and for the first time Pakistan admitted that its soil was used to promote acts of terrorism. Judge us by our action, not by what Mr. Advani says.”

On the question of Mr. Advani challenging him for a debate, Dr. Singh said the BJP did not allow Parliament — the forum for debate — to function and now its prime ministerial candidate wanted to have a debate with him. “I don’t want to give Mr. Advani an opportunity to say that he is an alternative Prime Minister [by having an American-style national debate with him].”

Among the UPA government’s unfinished agenda, he said, was poverty removal, for which the Congress needed another 10 years of rule.

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