NEW DELHI: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has hit back at the BJP-led government over economic slowdown and its inability to act against corruption during his address to media in Gujarat's Rajkot on Thursday.

Singh compared the average GDP figures during his time in the office with the GDP figures achieved by the BJP-led government and said that the current government will have to grow at 10.6% in its 5th year to match UPA's average GDP figures.

"To equal the UPA's ten year average, the economy will have to grow at 10.6% in the fifth year, I would be happy if it were to happen but I frankly do not think it will", he said, according to reports on ANI.

A 2014 report, titled '10 Years of Progress and Growth', released by the UPA government, had claimed that India's average economic growth rose to 7.7% in the 10-year regime of the UPA government.

The former Prime Minister also grilled the government for its 'failure' to act against the corrupt elements in the government.

"Whoever faced corruption allegations during UPA was dealt with strictly, but the same cannot be said about BJP , they have not acted on corruption in their rule, Singh said.

Singh also questioned the "inconsistent foreign policies" of the NDA government and said, "Our national security has been hurt by the inconsistent foreign policies of this Government, some steps taken by Modi government were not in the best interest of the country".

He also dismissed PM Narendra Modi's allegation that he refused to meet the then CM of Gujarat Narendra Modi over the Narmada issue.

"Modiji says he took up Narmada issue with me but I don't remember him talking to me about this issue, though whenever he wanted to meet me I never refused, was always ready as being PM it was my responsibility to meet all CMs", he defended.

Earlier, PM Narendra Modi had alleged that every time he (as the chief minister of Gujarat) went to meet Singh to make a representation about the dam, the then prime minister used to express ignorance about the stalled work on it.

Following Modi's accusation, Singh denied the claim and said that it was the central government led by the Congress which agreed to provide a financial assistance for the completion of the project, after the World Bank refused to give loan for the project in 1992.

"I also want to say that when the World Bank refused to give loan for the project in 1992, I was the Union finance minister. I undertook on behalf of the Government of India that whatever money the World Bank was supposed to give for the Narmada project, the Centre will provide that to it," he said.

