Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using ?hateful, unparliamentary terms to target either a specific section of society or the opposition.? In a letter to Punjab's voters ahead of the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha polls on June 1, Singh urged voters to protect democracy and the Constitution from what he described as the "repeated assaults of a despotic regime."

Singh criticized Modi for indulging in divisive hate speeches, stating, ?I have been keenly following the political discourse during this election campaign. Modi ji has indulged in the most vicious form of hate speeches, which are purely divisive in nature. Modi ji is the first prime minister to lower the dignity of public discourse, and thereby the gravity of the office of the prime minister.?

Singh asserted that no previous prime minister had used such hateful and coarse language, aimed at targeting specific sections of society or the opposition. He also claimed that Modi had falsely attributed statements to him, stating, ?I have never in my life singled out one community from the other. That is the sole copyright of the BJP."

PM Modi had previously accused Singh of saying that Muslims have the ?first right on the country's resources.?

In his letter, Singh appealed to voters, emphasizing the importance of their decision in the upcoming polls, ?You have one final chance to ensure that democracy and our Constitution are protected from the repeated assaults of a despotic regime, trying to unleash dictatorship in India.?