New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday said the state of the economy was "deeply worrying" and urged the government to put aside "vendetta politics" and reach out to sane voices and thinking minds to steer the economy out of this "man-made crisis". The Congress leader said "all-round mismanagement" by the Modi government was responsible for the slowdown. "The state of the economy today is deeply worrying. The last quarter's GDP growth rate of 5 pc signals that we are in the midst of a prolonged slowdown. India has the potential to grow at a much faster rate but all-round mismanagement by the Modi government has resulted in this slow down," he said in a statement.

Targeting the government, Singh said the country's youth, farmers and farm workers, entrepreneurs and the marginalised sections deserve better. India cannot afford to continue down this path, he said, adding, "I urge the government to put aside vendetta politics, and reach out to all sane voices and thinking minds, to steer our economy out of this man-made crisis."