‘Mann Ki Baat on TV’, ‘Unfortunate’ And What Not: How Oppn Tore Into PM Modi’s Press Conference

Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a press conference in the national capital on Friday, the Opposition tore into him for 'evading' all questions and letting Amit Shah do all the talking.

New Delhi: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav was among the first to poke fun at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s press conference held on Friday, when he tweeted a picture of the three wise monkeys.

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Taking to Twitter, the Samajwadi Party chief joked, “Development is asking have you seen the first press conference of Pradhan ji. Media persons did not get to ask their questions and the disciplined soldiers remained silent.”

‘विकास’ पूछ रहा है: प्रधान जी की पहली प्रेस वार्ता देखी क्या? लगता है ‘मन की बात’ का अंतिम एपिसोड रेडियो की जगह TV पर प्रसारित हुआ है.

बेचारे मीडिया वाले अपने प्रश्नों को लेकर बैठे ही रह गये ‘अनुशासित सिपाही’ मौन ही रहे. pic.twitter.com/cOytuPKdDL

— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) May 17, 2019

He added that the press conference seemed like an episode of ‘Mann ki Baat’ being telecast on television rather than on the radio. (Mann Ki Baat is a programme hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he addresses the people of the nation on All India Radio.)

On the other hand, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah too took a swipe at the PM and the BJP national president when he tweeted, “Amit Shah doesn’t forget to thank the embedded BJP workers disguised as journalists.”

It was Congress president Rahul Gandhi who took the sharpest dig at the Modi-Shah duo. Congratulating the Prime Minister for holding his first press conference in five years, Gandhi mockingly tweeted:

Congratulations Modi Ji. Excellent Press Conference! Showing up is half the battle. Next time Mr Shah may even allow you to answer a couple of questions. Well done! 👍

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 17, 2019

Rajya Sabha MP and Loktantrik Janata Dal chief Sharad Yadav also lambasted the press conference, calling it unfortunate that ‘even after five years, the PM could not face the media’.

It is unfortunate that even after 5 years of rule of d BJP PM could not face media. Its a question in everybody’s mind. Before d last phase of election PM has given clear indication from his body language that he has accepted defeat & it was like a farewell P.C of d Party & Govt

— SHARAD YADAV (@SharadYadavMP) May 17, 2019

Appearing at a rare press conference in last five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed confidence about the BJP to returning to power with a full majority but did not take any questions.

The Prime Minister said it will be the “first instance of a party getting an absolute majority after a full term”.

He came for the press conference along with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah at the party headquarters here and passed on a single question that was asked to him to the party President calling himself a “disciplined soldier” of the party.

With inputs from agencies