Bharatiya Janata Party president Lal Kishenchand Advani Friday said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's [Images] position in the United Progrssive Alliance was 'pitiable' as the central government was better known as the 'Sonia, Jyoti Basu and Lalu' government.

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Advani told newspersons in Patna that governments, be it in the state or at the Centre, were known by their heads.

"But Dr Singh is for namesake the prime minister of the UPA government," he remarked.

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He alleged that the Centre's functioning was in fact being handled by All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi [Images], Communist Party-Marxist stalwart Jyoti Basu and Rashtriya Janata Dal chief and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

"Dr Singh is like a puppet in the hands of all the three," he said adding, the PM's present position was 'pitiable'.