Friday, March 11 2005 11:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In an apparent dig at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president L K Advani, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh yesterday (Mar 10, 2005) said that the naxalite problem spread to more districts when the "second Sardar Patel" was at the helm of affairs in the Home Ministry.

The naxalite problem spread from 130 to 170 districts in various States when the "great second Sardar Patel" was presiding over the Home Ministry, he said winding up discussion in Rajya Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in Parliament.

Singh was responding to Advani's charge that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has not paid much attention to deal with internal security.

"We will not be soft on terrorism and insurgency. But at the same time we will not lose sight of human side of the problem," he said.