The Congress Party intensified its criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, accusing him of consistently avoiding a free and unscripted press conference during his 11 years in office.
Congress General Secretary in-charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, questioned Modi’s continued absence from open press interactions. Taking to social media platform X, Ramesh asked, “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?”
Ramesh’s remarks came a day after the Congress openly challenged the Prime Minister to hold his first-ever “undoctored, unscripted” press conference, marking 11 years since he assumed office.
Mocking the ruling BJP, Ramesh said, “Today, BJP President J.P. Nadda has been fielded to meet the press at 12 noon to highlight the 11-year millstone (not milestone).”
The Congress has repeatedly accused Modi of tightly controlling his media interactions and avoiding tough questions from independent journalists. “Unlike his predecessors, Modi has never shown the courage to face the media without a script,” Ramesh claimed.
In a previous post on X, Ramesh highlighted that world leaders regularly participate in open press conferences, yet Modi has refrained from doing so since 2014. “His media appearances are carefully scripted, even during election campaigns,” he said, referencing a campaign moment when Modi referred to himself as “non-biological.”
Ramesh contrasted Modi’s approach with that of previous prime ministers, who, he said, faced spontaneous and challenging media questions. “That was how democratic foundations were strengthened,” he added.
The BJP and the Prime Minister’s Office have not responded to the Congress’ latest attack.
The Congress Party has long made Modi’s limited press engagement a point of political criticism, viewing it as a sign of a lack of transparency and unwillingness to face public scrutiny.
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