Manmohan asks Jaitley to be more objective in evaluating UPA

New Delhi: Expressing confidence that growth would bounce back to 7-8 percent, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that the opposition should be more objective in assessing the work of the government. An acerbic Manmohan Singh also said "men of envy" disparage everything.

"I agree to Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley saying that country needs a growth of 7-8 percent to get rid of poverty. I would like to remind this house that this is precisely the intention of the UPA government," Manmohan Singh said in the Rajya Sabha.

"The Congress government in early nineties opened up our economy and the path of economic reforms to create an environment for rapid industrialization," he said while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks to the president's address.

"Mr Jaitley should be more objective in assessing work of UPA government whether agriculture, growth rate or industrialization as the record of the UPA speaks for itself and we don't have to go in more details," he said.

Attacking the opposition, Manmohan Singh said: "When men are full of envy they disparage everything, whether it be good or bad."

Referring to the growth rate during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in 1998-2004, Manmohan Singh said: "Growth rate in the country has been highest since the UPA came to power and it is only in 2012-13 that growth rate will be 5 percent."

"We are confident that the growth will bounce back with our efforts to 7 to 8 percent. If leader of opposition, colleagues reflect calmly they will conclude that the path we have chosen is the right path," he said.

He said the government was doing everything possible for farmers and growth in agriculture had increased during the last few years.