National

Buddhadeb speaks to Manmohan

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Saturday spoke to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the phone seeking to clear the air, in the wake of his criticism of Dr. Singh’s leadership.

Mr. Bhattacharjee is understood to have told Dr. Singh that he held him in high regard and the media had “misquoted” him.

Mr. Bhattacharjee had said the Prime Minister had “failed” on all fronts and the Congress, under his leadership, had lost a series of Assembly elections in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and other States.

“I repeat what I have said. I did not try to denigrate the Prime Minister. I have high respect for him. Unfortunately, he is heading a government which is failing to perform on all fronts,” Mr. Bhattacharjee told reporters in Kolkata on Friday.

The Prime Minister brushed aside charges that he had failed to check prices and hindered West Bengal’s growth, saying issues were being politicised because of elections. — PTI

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