A day after they exchanged aggressive remarks in Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley on Saturday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's attitude was one of "anger" and "pessimism" and this shows he has "run out of ideas" for reviving the economy.
Referring to the Prime Minister's statement on Friday in the Upper House on the state of the economy and the subsequent debate, Jaitley said, "Instead of telling us about the roadmap to improve the economy he was angry and pessimistic. This attitude means you have no ideas on how to revive the economy. You have run out of ideas." Jaitley was speaking at a conclave of BJP's Legal and Legislative Cell in New Delhi.
In a rare combative mood, Singh had said on Friday that frequent disruptions by the opposition was responsible for the government not being able to pass important legislations. He had asked whether there is any other Parliament where the Opposition attacks the Prime Minister and does not even allow him to introduce his council of ministers. Jaitley had hit back at the government on corruption.
"Till yesterday he (PM) had been maintaining a silence. To be silent for a long time is not good. Silence is golden only when you cannot think of an answer," Jaitley said at the BJP programme, adding, "It is extremely dangerous when the head of the country becomes cynical, pessimistic and cannot suggest a roadmap."
Referring to his exchange of words with the Prime Minister, Jaitley said Singh's attitude reminded him of the habit of lawyers of banging the desk "when they cannot bang the facts or bang the law as they are weak on both". Jaitley also lambasted the JD(U) government in Bihar for playing votebank politics on the issue of terrorism and said in the case of IM founder Yasin Bhatkal's arrest, the state government refused to cooperate "because its votebank will be affected".
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