Tuesday, November 8 2005 18:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, apparently disinclined to rein in a combative RJD and its chief Laloo Prasad over their frequent assaults on the Election Commission, today (Nov 08, 2005) said political parties were entitled to express their views but he personally did not want to say anything that would lower the dignity of a constitutional body.

"If anybody has a complaint, he cannot be prevented from speaking out", he told reporters at Patna airport fielding a volley of questions regarding repeated attacks on the EC, particularly by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Laloo Prasad and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh.

While the EC has been in Prasad's line of fire for large-scale transfer of poll-related officials belonging to the minorities, other backward classes and dalits, Digvijay Singh had recently met the Election Commission seeking apology for its advisor K J Rao's alleged utterances which hurt the religious sensibilities of a particular community at Bhagalpur.

The Prime Minister was on his way back to Delhi after addressing poll rallies at Saharsa and Sitamarhi for the RJD-led Secular Democratic Front candidates in Bihar assembly polls.