Modi branded Singh as too weak to raise the issue of attacks on Indian soil, which India blames on Pakistani-based militants, during his first talks with his Pakistani counterpart. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Ahead of the talks between Nawaz Sharif and Manmohan Singh on Sunday, India’s opposition leader and prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi lashed out at the Pakistani premier for reportedly calling his Indian counterpart an ‘old village woman’.
In an informal chat with reporters on Saturday, Prime Minister Nawaz said the Indian premier complained about Pakistan during his meeting with US President Barack Obama a day earlier like an ‘old village woman’. In the meeting, Singh told Obama that India was facing difficulties because ‘the epicentre of terrorism remains focused in Pakistan’.
“How dare Nawaz Sharif call India’s Prime Minister a village woman,” Modi remarked while addressing a public meeting in New Delhi. “This is an insult to a country of 1.2 billion people … we will never tolerate this,” he added.
Modi also attacked premier Singh in his speech, branding him as too weak to raise the issue of attacks on Indian soil, which India blames on Pakistani-based militants, during his first talks with his Pakistani counterpart.
“Today the prime minister meets Nawaz Sharif but the country doubts whether the prime minister has the courage to discuss the issue of terrorism unleashed on us by Pakistan,” Modi said.
“It is also doubtful whether our prime minister will discuss the issue of our soldiers being killed on the borders. The nation wants the prime minister to bring back the heads of Indian soldiers severed by Pakistani troops.”
India had accused Pakistani troops of beheading Indian soldiers during clashes along the Line of Control, earlier this year. Pakistan had rejected the allegations.
Modi claimed Singh had no respect within his own party. “His own party calls him ‘nonsense’… How will the world respect him?” he said.
He was referring to Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi’s blistering rejection of a government decree to protect convicted lawmakers on Friday. Rahul Gandhi turned on Singh’s government, calling its move to allow convicted criminals to serve in parliament ‘complete nonsense’.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2013.
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@Pappoo: Disingenuous statement, In Pakistan calling a man - a woman is a taunt. That is what Nawaz Sharif was doing.
@Blunt: 99% of his campaign has nothing whatsoever to do with Pakistan. It either lays out his vision for the country based on ideas that have been successful in Gujarat or it attacks the Congress incompetence and corruption.
If you want to see the ideas on the basis of which he is seeking a mandate google 'Modi India Today enclave', 'Modi SRCC'. Simply because ET only publishes tose sentences of his that are Pakistan related it does not mean that is the only plank of his campaign or even an important plank in his campaign.
I wish he could find any topic to base his election campaign other than Pakistan-phobia.
In Pakistan we respect our village women as simple, honest and hard working personality, they are our mothers, sisters and daughters.
Is being a village women in india an insult!! or being a women at all a curse in India.!!!??