Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said he does not regret having hit back at L K Advani,accusing the BJP leader of indulging in "mudslinging" for the last five years and maintained that he replied to the charge as he owed it to the country after being declared Congress' prime ministerial candidate. 76-year-old Singh also said that the issue on whether he or Rahul Gandhi will be the next prime minister if the UPA returned to power is "quite clear" given the views of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul himself. Asked if he regretted his remarks against Advani as the BJP leader has said he was hurt by some of his comments,Singh said,"No,I don't regret because Mr Advani has been mudslinging for the last five years against me.He said that he had been "hurt" by the BJP leader's accusation and now Advani "had no business" to complain. To a question whether he or Rahul Gandhi will be the prime minister if UPA came back to power,Singh said,"Well,you have heard the Congress President. You have heard Mr Rahul Gandhi. I think the answer is quite clear". On his war of word with the BJP leader,Singh said,"He (Advani) has been saying I am a 'nikamma' (incompetent) Prime Minister,I am subservient to Sonia Gandhi,that I am the weakest Prime Minister. I did not reply to any of these,but now as the Congress party has declared me as their prime ministerial candidate,I owe it to the country to reply to this charge that I am the weakest Prime Minister,that I am subservient to Mrs Gandhi,that everything I do I have to clear with 10,Janpath."
