New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Sunday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reluctance to engage in freewheeling press conferences, raising concerns about his transparency and accountability. He pointed out that despite the media’s vital role in democracy, PM Modi has not held an unscripted press meet in 11 years, with interactions being heavily scripted and lacking spontaneity.
Speaking to ANI, Ramesh said, “The only issue is why for 11 years Prime Minister Modi has not held a freewheeling press conference where he has taken questions from the media. He had a large number of interviews during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, but the producer, director, music director, scriptwriter, main actor and cameraman were all PM Narendra Modi.” He also accused Modi of avoiding questions from the opposition in Parliament and not attending all-party meetings.
Ramesh highlighted that Modi’s approach contrasts sharply with his predecessors, who often held spontaneous press meets and patiently answered tough questions. He added, “This is a fundamental tenet of democracy. The Prime Minister or President talks to the media and takes questions from the media. This Prime Minister does not answer questions from the opposition, give answers in Parliament, or attend all party meetings.”
The Congress MP also questioned Modi over US President Donald Trump’s claims regarding brokering a cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan. “President Trump is making claims after claims, 12 claims in 20 days. The Prime Minister is quiet. The Chief of Defence Staff has made important revelations in Singapore, but the Prime Minister hasn’t said anything. Where is the accountability? If he believes that the media is an important instrument of our democracy, then why doesn’t he take a freewheeling interview?… Have a freewheeling interview. You have been there for 11 years. There is no country in the world where a Prime Minister or President does not face the media. Each and every predecessor of PM Modi has had media interactions… Take spontaneous questions from the media. Let the media ask questions fearlessly and you answer… That is when accountability will be seen.”
He further accused Modi of ignoring Parliament. “Whenever we (opposition) ask questions, he says Jawaharlal Nehru is responsible. Any achievement — Narendra Modi. Any question we ask — Jawaharlal Nehru… He doesn’t respond in Parliament; he gives election speeches. He speaks once a year in Parliament, during the motion of thanks. His target is Mr. Nehru, Congress and not the questions of today, not questions on economy, foreign policy, neighbourhood policy… We want a special session of Parliament… There was no announcement for it. Monsoon session will start; will they allow discussion on security challenges? Pahalgam attack terrorists have still not been brought to justice…”
Ramesh also raised doubts about the “integrity” of the electoral process following Rahul Gandhi’s recent statements on the Maharashtra elections. “The Congress party in particular Rahul Gandhi has been raising questions on the way the election process has been conducted, he’s been raising questions on the fairness of the electoral rule. He made a very simple demand to make these electoral rolls available for various elections in a machine-readable digital format. What’s political about that demand? Our demands are very straightforward. There is a serious doubt about the integrity of the electoral process, not just on the EVM but also on the process from the electoral roll onwards. Why is JP Nadda responding on behalf of the Election Commission? Why is the communication of the Election Commission through JP Nadda? Be independent, uphold the Constitution, be transparent and don’t speak through JP Nadda.”
This came after Congress and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that the Maharashtra assembly election held in November 2024 was “rigged” and claimed similar manipulation could occur in the upcoming Bihar assembly polls. In a post on X, Gandhi shared his article published in a newspaper, explaining the “rigging” in the Maharashtra assembly polls. “Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy. My article shows how this happened, step by step,” Gandhi said on X. The former Congress President outlined a five-point process, beginning with rigging the panel that appoints the Election Commission, followed by adding fake voters to the electoral roll. He further claimed the subsequent steps included inflating voter turnout, targeting bogus voting in BJP-needed areas, and hiding the evidence. (ANI)
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