P Chidambaram said the BJP's campaign in Gujarat in the last few days had gone "beyond bizarre"
Congress leader P Chidambaram today attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for levelling allegations against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Vice President Hamid Ansari during the Gujarat election campaign.
Addressing a public rally in Gujarat yesterday at the fag end of a vitriolic poll campaign, PM Modi alleged that Dr Singh and Mr Ansari met with Pakistani leaders at a
dinner hosted by Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. The Prime Minister called it a "secret meeting", and also alleged that the Congress leaders were conspiring to prevent the BJP from winning the election.
"Is winning an election so important that such allegations can be made against a former Prime Minister and a former Vice President," Mr Chidambaram asked in a tweet.
The former Finance Minister also said the BJP's campaign in Gujarat in the last few days, especially on Sunday, had gone "beyond bizarre". "Should a political party go to any length to win an election?" he wrote.
The Congress responded to the Prime Minister's allegations by saying his allegations are "highly irresponsible and outrageous" and also demanded an apology.
Pakistan's foreign office responded to the allegations as well, saying "
India should stop dragging Pakistan into its electoral debate and win victories on own strength rather than fabricated conspiracies, which are utterly baseless and irresponsible."
Rahul Gandhi, at an election rally today,
hit back at the Prime Minister, and asked him to focus on Gujarat. He said "Modi-
ji is talking about Japan, Pakistan, Afghanistan. Modi-
ji, this is Gujarat elections, talk a little bit about Gujarat too."
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a statement, said he is "deeply pained and anguished by the falsehood" that was being spread by PM Modi.
"Fearing imminent defeat in Gujarat, desperation of Prime Minister to hurl every abuse and latch on to every straw is palpable," Dr Singh said in an unusually sharp and combative takedown of the Prime Minister.