Underplaying the recent statements made by his ministers on the UPA's (United Progressive Alliance) functioning and why investment inflow into India could be adversely affected, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suggested that coalition compulsions and some activism should not be read too much into.
He was speaking to the media onboard his special aircraft on his way back from Pretoria on Wednesday.
"We are a coalition government and there are bound to be differences. The real test is that we see that these differences do not undermine the cohesiveness of the government," he said, answering a question on Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's criticism of the UPA.
The government has been under attack lately from its allies like the Trinamool Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazagham, and the Nationalist Congress Party over various issues related to its policies.
"You have my assurance that despite different perspectives that the various members of our coalition may have, managing the UPA Cabinet has never been a difficult task. Our government functions with the coherence it needs to carry out its mandate given by the people," the prime minister stressed.
A few days ago, Law Minister Salman Khurshid had said that India needed investments to sustain its growth, but keeping businessmen in jail is hurting investment. When asked about his opinion on it, the prime minister replied: "It would not be proper for me to comment on the stray thoughts of what my minister (Law Minister Salman Khurshid) has said."
"There are legal remedies available in our system. Whenever anybody gets on the wrong side of the law and he or she is put behind bars, there are legal ways to get redress. We have a functioning democracy in which all the three wings of the establishment -- the executive, the judiciary, the legislature -- have a well defined role to play," he added.
