PM must be a leader, not just a reader: Jaitley

Amritsar: A day after the PMO sought to counter the perception that Manmohan Singh has been "weak" in his tenure, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Saturday taking potshots at him, said the Prime Minister "walked on snow, but did not leave any footprints". "In India, the Prime Minister's read out speeches were not being heard by the people. They are no longer remembered or talked about. The PMO is right. Statistically, the Prime Minister was speaking, factually, he was not being heard," Jaitley, wrote in his blog. The BJP leader who is fighting his maiden Lok Sabha polls from Amritsar against former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress nominee, Amarinder Singh, wrote in response to controversy created by two recently published books including the one by PM's former Media Adviser Sanjaya Baru, the PMO has clarified that in the last 10 years, the Prime Minister had delivered around 1,200 speeches. "The PMO thought that this would counter the charge that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was not a 'speaking' Prime Minister," Jaitley said. "He must be heard with attention. He must be a leader and not just a reader," Jaitley said. The BJP leader was also unsparing in his attack on former Indian cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi, who was in Amritsar on Friday and had heaped praises on his Congress rival Amarinder Singh. He said Bishen Bedi came to campaign for a political party (Congress) which has provided India the most dishonest government in history. He came to campaign for a candidate who is accused under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Bishen has always been a crusader even if he crusades for an immoral cause," he wrote on Bedi.