Don't ignore contrary opinions: Prime minister

Prime minister Manmohan Singh today said the country should not ignore contrary opinions and shy away from a constructive debate of different points of view.

"If we are to think big and if we are to think boldly about the challenges and opportunities before us, we cannot do so by ignoring contrary opinions," he said releasing a book "Keeping the Faith", authored by former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee here.

He said the country must have a way to resolve creative tensions in the development process and move ahead. 

Chatterjee in the book had launched a vitriolic attack against CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat  saying that "disastrous' policies and "misguided" actions of the current leadership had resulted in the major debacle for the party in the 2009 general elections.

Observing that Chatterjee's finest hour in his long and distinguished political career was as the speaker of Lok
Sabha, Singh said that Chatterjee has "risen above his party
and his ideology to do what he believes is right".

The prime minister said that the country has shown the capacity and resilience to overcome trials and tribulations and even rise above them. "We have withstood serious challenges on the economic and security front and even emerged stronger afterwards", he said.

The heat of debate in Parliament was often matched by the warmth of personal relationships among leaders cutting across party lines which was a real strength of Indian democracy, Singh said adding many a time he turned to Chatterjee to benefit from his various experience, political acumen and sage counsel.