PM is an overrated economist: Yashwant Sinha

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha on Friday blamed the UPA government for creating a financial mess in the country. Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurances on the economy, Sinha said the claims were laughable. He said Manmohan Singh was an overrated economist and underrated politician.

"Manmohan Singh has always acted as a consultant to the government, being a Prime Minister for eight years and a Finance Minister for some years. Who brought this situation? It's absolutely wrong to say it is a global mess, it's a domestic mess created by the government," Sinha said.

Reacting to the Prime Minister's comments on corruption, Sinha said, "These are the most laughable of all comments made so far. He has defended his corrupt ministers to the hilt, it's only when the Supreme Court used its stick that they gave up. Why is he protecting Chidambaram? He protected Raja earlier."

Yashwant Sinha also said that there was no point holding talks with Pakistan.

This came after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in an interview to the national daily, Hindustan Times, said that the Indian economy was intact.

Singh also said that the government will work to improve response times for business proposals.

But he also gave a word of caution saying political consensus is needed for some key economic decisions, hinting that key reforms won't be easy.

Asked about corruption, Singh said he does not think "there has been any explosion in corruption under his watch."

"Just as the pessimism over the economy is more in the markets and less on the ground, even in the case of corruption, I do not think there has been any explosion in corruption under my watch," the Prime Minister said.

Singh also said he was looking forward to visiting neighbour Pakistan, though there have to be "suitable outcomes" for such a visit.

(With additional information from PTI)