Left terms PM right

NEW DELHI

April 9: The Communist Party of India general secretary, Mr A.B. Bardhan, on Thursday tacitly defended the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, when asked to comment on Mr L.K. Advani’s repeated remarks calling Manmohan Singh a “weak Prime Minister.”
Mr Bardhan said: “ If by describing Dr Singh as a weak Prime Minister, Advani thinks that he would be a strong Prime Minister, I would like to point out that it was precisely during his tenure that terrorists attacked Parliament, the Akshardham Temple and many other places. One cannot forget that it was during the tenure of this so-called strong leader (read Advani), terrorists were taken out of jail and escorted back to Kandahar. Since then we are all searching for those released terrorists. Thus, Mr Advani’s performance does not answer to his claim of being a strong leader.”
The West Bengal CM, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, may have differences with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh’s policies, particularly his “special love for America”, but he has “great respect” for the PM whom he calls a “man of integrity”.
“I respect him because he is a knowledgeable economist and a man of integrity. May be, I differ with his policies, particularly, his special love for America, but I have great respect for him,” the 65-year-old CPI (M) leader told a private news channel.
He also regrets the police firing in Nandigram while making it clear that he had never thought of stepping down after the violence there as he was part of the government which had “collective responsibility.”