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Dr Singh's statement didn't bother me: Advani

Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Thursday claimed that he had no hard feelings towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had targeted the National Democratic Alliance chairman while speaking on the cash-for-votes scam in Parliament on Wednesday. 

Dr Singh, in an uncharacteristically aggressive speech, had claimed that Advani had never forgiven him for becoming the prime minister as he thought he had a birthright to the post.

Advani was speaking to rediff.com at a lunch hosted by BJP leader Venkiah Naidu in Delhi on Thursday.

 

When Swaraj took on the PM

When queried about his reaction to the PM's acerbic comments in Parliament, Advani replied with a smile, "Such things do not bother me".

In response to a question on his favourite moment during the heated debate on the cash-for-votes issue, Advani said it was when BJP leader Sushma Swaraj quoted Urdu poet Iqbal to slam Dr Singh for his alleged tendency to pass the buck over such controversies.

The BJP leader also talked about his interaction with Dr Singh -- whom he has repeatedly accused of being the weakest PM in India's history -- at a function organised to honour socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia.

'Leader of Opposition did a commendable job'

The PM, Advani said, asked him whether his idea of a confederation between India, Pakistan and Bangladesh was still feasible.

"I told him that it was no longer applicable, particularly since Pakistan encouraged terror groups," Advani said.

The former deputy prime minister also expressed his happiness with the performance of his party colleagues during the cash-for-vote debate in Parliament.

"The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha did a commendable job," he said in an obvious reference to Sushma Swaraj.