Nation is going through extremely challenging times: Manmohan Singh attacks Narendra Modi government

" Our nation is going through extremely challenging times for last 4 and a half years. Youth are suffering from acute joblessness," Singh said while addressing a press conference in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

Singh, who had served the nation as the PM from 2004-2014, even called the Modi government's note ban move as a 'monumental failure of epic proportions'.

He said: "Modi govt seeks to build a false narrative to justify Demonetisation by inventing new arguments from time to time. But it was a monumental failure of epic proportions. None of the objectives have been achieved."

In 2016, the Modi government had banned old Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 currency notes.

Speaking on the issue of joblessness, he said: "2,81,000 youths with MBA, LLB, Ph.D have applied for 730 peons post in February 2018. That is one indicator of the severity of the crisis of joblessness in MP."

He said: "We have witnessed how the credibility of our institutions like Parliament, CBI have been systematically denigrated. A careful, well-thoughtout and calibrated effort is being made by the powers to weaken these institutions."

The Congress is aiming to come to power in the state which has been ruled by the BJP for the past couple of years.

The single-phase Assembly polls in the state will take place on Nov 28.