Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday came down heavily on opposition BJP, accusing it of dividing the people on the basis of communal agenda.

Releasing the Congress manifesto for 2009 Lok Sabha polls along with party President Sonia Gandhi, he termed BJP's defence of Varun Gandhi's comments with communal overtone as shameful.

He said Left parties and BJP have "negative mindset" which cannot take the nation forward.

NDA and Third Front do not have the capacity to meet the challenges facing the nation, Singh said.

He reminded the people of the "historic opportunity" to decide the path they would like to follow in the next five year.

The Prime Minister said if the country had a strong and purposeful government, "India can be a source of inspiration to rebuild more prosperous and more equitable South Asia".

The Prime Minister expressed anguish over the instability in neighbouring countries. "If I look at the challenges around India, I see instability," he said.

He said Pakistan was facing terrorism and pointed out at events in neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

"These are all events which cause worry about future of South Asia," he said.

The Prime Minister said the Congress President has explained why it was necessary for the party to come back to power to meet the enormous challenges the country faced.

"When I look at the opportunities, I am convinced that this country can move forward on road to faster growth", he said, adding the benefits of developments can be passed on to each sections of society particularly scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and minorities.

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