Manmohan covering for Cong’s unprincipled position: BJP

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday launched a scathing attack on former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh accusing him of being “economical with truth” and giving a “cover” to the Congress on Article 370.

BJP’s national social media cell chief Amit Malviya posted two videos of Singh and Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari on Twitter in which both are seen taking complete divergent stands on Article 370 on behalf of their party.

In the first clip, which was from Manmohan Singh’s press conference in Mumbai on Thursday, an unusually aggressive Singh said: “When the bill to abrogate Article 370 came to the Parliament, the Congress party voted for it. It didn’t vote against it.”

In the second clip, a relatively old one, party spokesman Manish Tiwari was heard saying, “I am surprised that you do not know what the official position of the Congress party is. Because the Congress party in the Lok Sabha and in the Rajya Sabha voted against both the abrogation of Article 370 as well as the dismemberment of Jammu & Kashmir and its truncation into two Union Territories.”

Tiwari further said, “The Congress Working Committee officially passed a resolution to that effect. So that is the position of the Congress party.” Reacting to the two clips, Malviya tweeted: “Where does Congress party stand on the abrogation of Article 370? Well, Dr Manmohan Singh clearly doesn’t know…”

The BJP social media head later told IANS: “He has on many occasions in the past willingly suppressed facts and provided cover for the Congress’ unprincipled position. It does not behove a former prime minister to misrepresent facts.” The Indian government abrogated the contentious Article on August 5 this year, creating a virtual split in the grand old party with many leaders taking opposite stands.