Narendra Modi will be disastrous for India, says Manmohan Singh

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday sharply attacked Narendra Modi, saying it will be "disastrous for the country" to have the BJP leader at the helm and that "India does not want such a prime minister".

"If by strong prime minister you mean that you preside over the mass massacre of innocent citizens in the streets of Ahmedabad, that is the measure of strength, I do not believe that sort of strength this country needs, least of all in its prime minister," he said.

Addressing the press at the National Media Centre, he reserved his sharpest comments for the Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate, who has been vehemently attacking the Congress.

"Without discussing the merits of Narendra Modi, I sincerely believe that it will be disastrous for the country to have Modi as the PM," Manmohan Singh said. Modi has been the Gujarat chief minister since 2001 and the riots took place in 2002 during his first term.

Answering another query, the prime minister said that "I sincerely believe what Mr Narendra Modi is saying (about decimating Congress) is not going to materialise".