Congress dubs PM's interview as 'fixed'; Counters claims on jobs, alliance, NRC

Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interview, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed called it a ‘fixed move’ and challenged him to hold a press conference.

New Delhi: Reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interview to ANI, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed called it a ‘fixed move’ and challenged him to hold a press conference. Ahmed said that PM hasn’t done a single press conference in the last four and a half years. Ahmed countered PM’s statements on the various topics that the interview covered Attacking PM on his statement on NRC, he said that PM Modi’s statement is differing from that of his party members. ‘A BJP MLA said that of the 40 lakh people excluded from NRC, around 20-25 lakh belong to Hindu community, but PM Modi said that the 40 lakh peole are Bangaldeshi immigrants’, Ahmed said. Upon PM’s statement on grand alliance, Ahmed said that in the year 1977 and 1988, BJP itself was a part of ‘Mahagathbandhan’. Taking on PM, on his employment statistics, Ahmed said that the unemployment survey was completed in the year 2016 itself so that people do not find out exact picture. ‘As against his claims of providing jobs to lawyers from auto-rickshaw drivers, the government has rendered 22 lakh people jobless’, said Ahmed. Upon lynching, he said that most of the incidents of lynching take place in BJP governed states. He further said that the Unnao case accused minister is still in BJP. Attacking the party over its stand on reservation, Ahmed said that while RSS promises of ending reservation, PM ensures that it will stay, by doing so they want to woo both the sides. Upon PM’s reaction to Rahul Gandhi’s hug, Ahmed said if hugging is a kiddish act, then why PM Modi behaved immaturely at international level when he hugged US President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Modi on Saturday spoke out on several issues in an exclusive interview to ANI. He countered the picture projected by opposition of a gloomy economic situation, claims of rising unemployment and many other such claims. Read: PM Modi counters Opposition on unemployment, economy, GST, NRC