Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Modi first PM to 'lower dignity' of public discourse, says Manmohan Singh

Singh asserted that only the Congress can ensure growth-oriented progressive future where democracy and Constitution will be safeguarded.

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday accused Narendra Modi of indulging in the "most vicious form of hate speeches" and lowering the dignity of public discourse and the gravity of the office of the Prime Minister.

In an appeal to voters of Punjab ahead of the seventh-phase of Lok Sabha polls on June 1, he also targeted the BJP government for imposing an "ill-conceived" Agniveer scheme on the armed forces. He said only the Congress can ensure a growth-oriented progressive future where democracy and the Constitution will be safeguarded.

"I have been keenly following the political discourse during this election campaign. Modi ji has indulged in the most vicious form of hate speeches, which are purely divisive in nature. Modi-ji is the first prime minister to lower the dignity of public discourse, and thereby the gravity of the office of the Prime Minister," he said.

"No Prime Minister in the past has uttered such hateful, unparliamentary and coarse terms, meant to target either a specific section of the society or the opposition. He has also attributed some false statements to me. I have never in my life singled out one community from the other. That is the sole copyright of the BJP," Singh said.

Singh said people of India are seeing through all of this. "This narrative of dehumanisation has now reached its peak. It is now our duty to save our beloved nation from these forces of discord," Singh added.

On Agnipath scheme, he said, "the BJP thinks that the value of patriotism, bravery and service is only four years. This shows their fake nationalism."

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