Mamata hits out at PM, says finishing off 'aam admi'

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday wondered whether the "power of (the) chair" was being misused to finish off the "aam admi (common people)".

"I want to ask - what is the definition of aam aadmi? What is the definition of democracy," Banerjee asked in a fresh post on Facebook.

"Is it not becoming clear that use of the name of Aam Aadmi, and misuse of power of chair, is to finish Aam Aadmi? Is it the game plan ! ! !" she said.

Banerjee's comments came hours after the prime minister asserted that his government was voted to office twice to protect the interests of the common man.

"No government likes to impose burdens on the common man. Our government has been voted to office twice to protect the interests of the aam admi," Manmohan Singh said in a rare televised address to the nation at prime time on public broadcaster Doordarshan.

In the address, he defended economic reforms, saying they were in the national interest and "hard decisions" will be pursued with people's support, despite political opposition.

Miffed by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government's decisions over hike in diesel price and foreign investment in multi-brand retail, the Trinamool earlier in the day withdrew support to the ruling coalition at the centre.