His delicate health notwithstanding, the politician in former prime minister Manmohan Singh came out sharply during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when he accused his successor Narendra Modi of lowering the dignity of public discourse and the gravity of the office of the prime minister by delivering “hateful speeches” during the poll campaign.

In an appeal to voters in Punjab ahead of the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha polls on June 1, Singh had asserted that only the Congress could ensure a growth-oriented progressive future where democracy and the Constitution would be safeguarded.

The senior Congress leader had also hit out at the BJP government for imposing an “ill-conceived” Agnipath scheme, which he termed as a threat to national security.

“The BJP thinks that the value of patriotism, bravery and service is only four years. This shows their fake nationalism,” he had said in what is considered as his last letter to voters of Punjab.

The Congress had released Singh’s letter to the media on May 30.

Singh had said those who trained for regular recruitment were woefully betrayed by the Modi regime.

He had said, “The youth of Punjab, the son of the farmer, who dreams of serving the motherland through the Armed Forces, is now thinking twice about getting recruited only for a four-year stint. The Agniveer scheme endangers national security. The Congress party has therefore promised to abolish the Agniveer scheme.”