Congress today accused Narendra Modi of being 'anti-national' by projecting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 'poor light' over the 'village woman' row and demanded that he apologise to the nation

New Delhi: Congress today accused Narendra Modi of being "anti-national" by projecting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in "poor light" over the 'village woman' row and demanded that he apologise to the nation.

Strongly condemning Modi for the remarks, Congress said it does not behove of a Prime Ministerial candidate of an opposition party to use such language against the Prime Minister.

"It is anti-national and needs to be strongly condemned. He needs to apologise to the nation for what he said today that puts Prime Minister in poor light," Ajay Maken, head of the Congress media department, told reporters here.

Maken said Modi while addressing a rally went by the views of a Pakistani journalist who claimed that Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has termed Singh as a "village woman" for complaining against him before US President Barack Obama.

He said, "It does not behove of a Prime Ministerial candidate of the opposition party to speak against the Prime Minister" in this manner. "Modi, who claims to be a nationalist, does not believe in the Indian journalists and spreads a false story of a Pakistani journalist before the whole nation," he said, adding "Modi has put forth Pakistan's views before the nation".

Maken said it is "very sad that Modi chose a time to show the Prime Minister in poor light when he is abroad and has insulted him by doing so." Another Congress leader Congress leader Rashid Alvi dismissed Modi's charge that Rahul Gandhi had undermined the Prime Minister's authority by attacking the ordinance on lawmakers and alleged that the Gujarat CM was "misguiding" the country while "ignoring" his state which is facing a flood threat.

"Rahul Gandhi had not even mentioned the name of the Prime Minister. He had only expressed his views regarding the ordinance. He did not even ask the government to withdraw it," Alvi said, alleging that it was Modi who was "denigrating" the Prime Minister.

"Look at the content and tone in which he spoke. I think it is utterly despicable," said another party leader Sandeep Dikshit.

Insisting that no country has the right to insult India's Prime Minister, Modi said Sharif perhaps mustered the courage to do so as Singh's own party leader Rahul Gandhi has called the Ordinance on convicted MPs as "complete nonsense" "If I were to put it in simple terms, then the Congress vice president has insulted him. If you do not respect our Prime Minister then why will Nawaz Sharif," Modi said.

He maintained that there are doubts whether Singh will be able to forcefully raise the issue of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, beheading of Indian soldiers by Pakistani forces and other contentious issues in his meeting with Sharif.

Raising his concern over domestic issues, Modi said, "The nation is going through a period of crisis due to corruption. It has not only affected the exchequer but has also created a crisis when it came to the nation's future."

"Countries which got independence around the same time and had less resources compared to India are doing better. We are regressing instead of progressing. Youth of this country need employment but this government is not able to provide it," Modi said.

He claimed that while the NDA government had provided employment to six crore people in six years, the UPA could only create 27 lakh jobs between 2004-2009. Modi asked the youth to throw out the UPA government as it has failed to make their future secure.

Citing recent judgements in which the Supreme Court has used "harsh words" against the government, Modi said the leaders of Congress and its allies were unmoved by such observations and made their comparision to an alchoholic who remains immune to any talk on the ill effects of liquor.

Modi said the UPA government has failed in all departments where the Centre is directly involved be it Railways, highways or aviation sector. Modi thanked the people for helping him reach the position he holds today and said he started out by selling tea in railway coaches. "I was never a ruler, nor am I today. I am only your servant. Earlier also I was your servent. I will remain your servant in the future also," he said.

He promised that BJP will never let down the people who have put their faith in it.

PTI