The Opposition today launched a scathing attack on the UPA-II government for its "failures", with BJP saying the ruling coalition's "split leadership" has led to lack of governance and the Left parties blaming it for major scams and clinging to power by "manufacturing majority".
The BJP targetted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the "failures" of the government in the last four years, saying the presence of two power centres and his "indecision, inability and silence" have led to an environment of "gloom and pessimism" in the country.
At a press conference, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley said there is nothing to celebrate for the government on its fourth anniversary "in an environment of gloom, pessimism and negativism. Rarely has the nation witnessed the kind of cynicism against the government as is prevalent today".
The government has failed to provide leadership, keep its coalition together, improve the economy, check corruption, or ensure national security and safety of women, they said.
Attacking Singh, the two BJP leaders said power does not vest in the Prime Minister and hence, the UPA model was "structurally defective".
"Manmohan Singh is the Prime Minister, but neither a leader of the country nor the leader of his own party. Singh's colleagues sit with him in the Cabinet and look towards the UPA Chairperson (Sonia Gandhi) for directions. Such a split leadership is the biggest failure of UPA," Swaraj said.
Jaitley said, "UPA has devalued the Prime Minister's post", adding that Singh's Cabinet colleagues look at the heir apparent (Rahul Gandhi) for future leadership.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury attacked the UPA-II coalition for failing to resolve crucial problems of the people and blamed it for the "rapid succession" of scams.
"The UPA, which started four years ago, is not the UPA today. It doesn't have a majority in Parliament. It manufactures majority, and this is done with the help of the CBI. Therefore, it is a minority government which is manufacturing majority to survive," Yechury said.
