Click to play videoNew Delhi: Former External Affairs Minister and suspended Congress leader Natwar Singh, who was embroiled in the Iraqi oil-for-food controversy, on Tuesday said the loss of the Congress party in the Punjab and Uttarakhand in a message for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to pull up his socks.
Singh who is the brother-in-law of Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and a perennial Congress dissident spoke to CNN-IBN's Rajdeep Sardesai about the first trends after counting of votes began in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur on Tuesday morning
Rajdeep Sardesai: How are you seeing the results?
Natwar Singh: They prove two things. If we see Punjab, the Prime Minister of India is a Sikh and he has not been able to carry his home state although he has been PM for two years and nine months.
His meetings were very poorly attended. It’s a direct reflection of him that he is in the shadow of the Congress President and has not even been able to evolve the personality of his own or to make any impact on the people of Punjab.
Secondly it is now clear that Sonia Gandhi is no longer an electoral asset as far as the Congress party and the people of India are concerned. And I think they should all be worried about that.
Rajdeep Sardesai: What about your brother-in-law Amarinder Singh? You are blaming Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, but surely the Raja of Patiala who was seen as inaccessible, feudal, elitist, must take a lot of the blame.
Natwar Singh: No. He is an extremely democratic and charming person. Incumbency and price rise have gone against him. He is not responsible for the price rise he could do nothing about the incumbency.
Rajdeep Sardesai: If you have so many grievances against Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh, you believe that they have failed, why don’t you leave the Congress party. Why are you becoming a dissident from within and being seen in the company of Amar Singh. That’s not what gentleman do. And you are a gentleman. Aren’t you?
Natwar Singh: I have 14 months to go in the Rajya Sabha. I am a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan and if I were to resign, that seat would go to BJP. And I would not wish to give the seat to BJP.
Rajdeep Sardesai: Is there any message that you want to give Sonia Gandhi?
Natwar Singh: I don’t have to give her a message. The people of Punjab and Uttarkhand and have given her the message. What could be more clear.
Rajdeep Sardesai: And any message to the Prime Minister sir?
Natwar Singh: Well, he better pull up his socks.
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