Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has alleged that almost half of the parliamentarians in India's Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them -- including charges of rape and murder -- prompting the Indian government to summon the country's ambassador to explain the remarks.

"Nehru’s India has become one where ... almost half the MPs in the Lok Sabha have criminal charges pending against them, including charges of rape and murder," Lee said, referring to India's lower house of parliament, in Singapore's parliament on Wednesday during a debate about accusations of lying levelled at a member of Singapore's opposition.

Lee, referring to parliamentary standards, mentioned India, suggesting a decline there since its first prime minister after independence from Britain in 1947, Jawaharlal Nehru, was in charge.

He did add, however, that many of the charges were politically motivated.

According to media reports, the Singapore premier said that Modern Singapore does not come born with a fail-safe mechanism as he spoke about how a democratic system needs MPs with good norms and values to function, the importance of public trust in the government and his views on the COP's recommendations, among other things.

"Our founding fathers did their best to build strong foundations and institutions. Even after the Barisan Sosialis, which was then the main opposition party, decided to vacate its seats in Parliament in 1966 and left the field entirely to the PAP, our founding fathers maintained our Parliamentary democracy and multi-party system.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew once explained, at that time, with the PAP completely dominant, he could have changed the Constitution and made this a one-party state. But he deliberately chose not to, because he knew that without the need to contest and win elections, the governing party would over time become complacent and flabby, and that would be disastrous for Singapore," he said.

Indian reaction

Indian media reported that Singapore's ambassador had been summoned to the foreign ministry to explain.

The Indian ministry declined to comment but an official there criticised what the Singapore leader said.

"The remarks by the prime minister of Singapore were uncalled for," said the official, who declined to be identified.

"We have taken up the matter with the Singaporean side."

Lee's office said it had nothing to add.

India and Singapore are both former British colonies and have been close allies for decades.

India's main opposition Congress party, led by Nehru's great-grandson, Rahul Gandhi, took the opportunity to extol its old leader and have a dig at its rivals.

"Nehru's magnanimity continues to inspire world leaders even today," Congress said in a statement on Twitter.

"Pity the ones here at home who fail to have the vision to understand the exceptional leader he was."