Congress questions Modi’s silence, demands real press talk

The Congress on Monday stepped up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not holding an "undoctored" press conference and asked why he is still "running away" or whether it is taking time to prepare the questions and answers and find suitable persons to query him in a "servile manner".

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on Sunday the party had challenged the PM to have his first-ever "unscripted, undoctored" press conference on the completion of his 11 years in office.

"Today, the BJP President J. P. Nadda has been fielded to meet the press at 12 noon to highlight the 11 year millstone (not milestone)," he said.

"Why is the Prime Minister still running away? Or is it taking time to prepare the questions and answers and find suitable persons to 'query' him in a servile manner? Or is Bharat Mandapam not fully ready?" Ramesh said on X.

There was no immediate response from the BJP or the government on the Congress' attack.

The Congress on Sunday had accused Prime Minister Modi of scripting his media interactions and said, unlike his predecessors, he lacks the courage to hold "undoctored" press meets.

In a post on X, Ramesh had said leaders across the world hold freewheeling press conferences from time to time, but "ours has had none for 11 years".

"Narendra Modi produced, directed, and scripted his media interactions last year during the election campaign - during one of which he famously claimed to be non-biological. But he has never ever had the courage to have an undoctored press meet," Ramesh had said in his post.

"This is in total contrast to all his predecessors. His favourite hate used to have spontaneous press meets almost every other month, where he would be ruthlessly questioned, and he would answer patiently. That is one way our democratic foundations got established," the Congress leader had said.

The Congress has been targeting Modi for not facing the media ever since he took over the top post in 2014.