Jaswant Singh, former external affairs in the National Democratic Alliance government, while taking a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for telling American president George Bush how much Indians loved him, said that none of the preceeding prime ministers had ever made such a comment.
"I have worked with several prime ministers. Mrs (the real Mrs Gandhi) would not have said this," Singh said at a specially convened press conference to discuss the global impact of the economic slowdown in America.
Singh lashed out at Finance Minister P Chidambaram for saying that the Indian economy would not be affected by the developments in the United States.
"An extraordinary situation of immeasurable economic dimensions has descended upon us with greatly destabilizing speed. The US Congress has witheld consent to the $ 700 billion recovery plan and the entire global economic system has come under great strain. In such a situation India can simply not remain insulated like an island," the former finance minister said.
Singh, who is one of the trustees of the Chamunda Devi Temple where more then 150 people lost their lives offered to take blame on behalf of the management for the death of the pilgrims.
The stampede occurred as the devotees jostled with each other to offer coconut water to the goddess on the first days of Navratri. "It can happen at any place. It happens in Mecca and the Kumbh mela where there are good arrangements," Singh said.
Asked if the slow down would have any impact on Pakistan, Singh said that Pakistan is on the verge of collapse both politically and economically.
Singh offered a number of suggestions to the PM to strengthen the Indian economy which included by doing away with the bad macro-management.
