Meanwhile, the BJP has criticised Ramesh for his remarks. "Jairam Ramesh should first speak about UPA's poem, story and drama carrying on for the last over nine and a half years... He should not make light comments about former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who is still popular among the people of the country," BJP's chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said. He said the party was proud that Vajpayee has a poetic heart and reminded Ramesh of the work carried out by the former prime minister by connecting rural India with a good road network and by adding up to 18 km of national highways everyday. "Don't measure the country's development with light talks of poetry. Vajpayee's thoughts were filled with sincerity of bringing about nation's development, which he proved through his actions," Prasad said. He said Ramesh should not have referred to Vajpayee in that tone as people of the country still admire him and consider him as one of the most popular prime ministers of independent India. "Please don't talk so lightly," Prasad said. With fresh indications of the country's growth falling to 5 per cent, the BJP leader hit out at the UPA for not sincerely working towards speedy progress of the nation. "The fresh trends that India's growth is expected to be the lowest ever of 5 per cent in the last ten years, please reply to that. People are upset with price rise and corruption," he said. He also hit out at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for re-inducting a "tainted" Minister Vinod Singh accused of kidnapping a government doctor in the NRHM scam. "Akhilesh Yadav became the youth chief minister of Uttar Pradesh on the pristine hope of development as he claims. People looked upon him to do something different. Not only the people of Uttar Pradesh but even the country is entitled to know as to what was the compulsion that he was forced to re-induct a tainted minister like Vinod Singh against whom serious allegation of kidnapping a government doctor was there. "I don't think he is leaving a good legacy. The people of Uttar Pradesh certainly would be saddened as to what he has done today," Prasad said.
