Modi first PM to lower dignity of public discourse: Manmohan

In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday accused him of lowering the dignity of public discourse and the gravity of the office of the PM by giving “hateful speeches” during the poll campaign.

In an appeal to voters of Punjab ahead of the seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls on June 1, Singh asserted that only the Congress can ensure a growth-oriented progressive future where democracy and the Constitution will be safeguarded.

The senior Congress leader also hit out at the BJP government for imposing an “ill-conceived” Agniveer scheme on the armed forces.