India’s Hindu nationalist opposition has launched a swinging attack on the leadership of its rival Congress party, accusing its leadership of squandering economic opportunity, breaking down in the face of the global financial crisis and failing to prevent tumult across South Asia.

Only days before the results of India’s parliamentary election, the Bharatiya Janata party has torn apart the record of Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, describing him as unelectable, indecisive and a “terrible prime minister”. It has also called Rahul Gandhi, a possible future prime minister, a political novice.