PM is apprehensive about Narendra Modi: Arun Jaitley

New Delhi: BJP today took a dig at the Prime Minister for asking all secular forces to unite against Narendra Modi, saying it shows that he is apprehensive and feels the challenge posed by the party’s Prime Ministerial candidate. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley asked all political parties which are against corruption to join hands with BJP. [caption id=“attachment_1148461” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Arun Jaitley. AFP[/caption] “Those who go with the Congress will sink with a party that is going down,” he said. The opposition party also slammed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for meeting his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York at a time when Indian soldiers are being attacked at the LoC and Islamabad continues to support terrorism against India. Speaking at a party programme here, Jaitley said he felt good when he heard Singh’s remarks yesterday that all secular forces should unite to fight Modi. “The Prime Minister is adopting a defensive posture. He can sense the challenge from Modi. He is apprehensive,” Jaitley said. BJP claimed that the 2014 Lok Sabha elections will not be based on “arithmetic”- pre-poll analysis of which party is likely to get how many seats- but about the “changed chemistry on the ground”. The next elections will also be a referendum on the leadership issue, Jaitley said and accused Singh of being a “weak” Prime Minister. “The Prime Minister should be a natural leader of his party. He should listen to all opinions but finally take his own decision. When a leader half the age of the Prime Minister over-rules him, his status is diminished,” Jaitley said, referring to the remarks made by Rahul Gandhi against the Ordinance on convicted lawmakers. On holding talks with Sharif in New York, Jaitley said, “Why were we eager to hold talks with Pakistan, when their forces were violating ceasefire on Line of Control, killing and beheading our soldiers. Many a times not holding talks also builds pressure.” PTI