Cong dubs Modi's interviews as 'monologues', dares PM to address press conference

The Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of hoodwinking the country by playing with statistics on job creation and claimed that he wants people to believe his "failure" to follow through on his promises as "achhe din".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. PTI Photo

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday dubbed as "fixed" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interviews given to two media houses and dared him to hold a press conference and face scribes. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, while addressing a press meet here, said Modi, in the name of interviews, did monologues. "He is afraid of facing the media that is why he asked for questions from two publications and then gave answers. He should rather conduct a presser than giving fixed interviews," Khera alleged. Khera said Modi was asked to point out three big achievements of his government but he "refused to enumerate" them. "He said he can't. That is the only honest admission in these interviews. He could not speak about his three achievements even after four years in power. He is the prime minister, he can not hoodwink the country like this. Do not play with statistics," Khera told reporters. He alleged both the interviews had "helpful" questions and said some of the claims Modi made during the interviews were interesting while some laughable. The Congress leader said Prime Minister's talk of "vikas" is a "jumla". "He speaks about development in his interviews but forgets in after elections. For his development is only a jumla (slogan)," Khera said. The spokesperson accused Modi of hoodwinking the country by playing with statistics on job creation and claimed that he wants people to believe his "failure" to follow through on his promises as "achhe din". He said the Modi government has no major achievement to show to people even though it is just nine months short of its five-year term. And the prime minister has given himself an extension of 48 more months by pushing the deadline to deliver the projects by 2022, he added. The Congress claimed that there is a difference of opinion among the Union cabinet members, pointing out that while the prime minister says his government has given jobs to one crore people, his cabinet minister Nitin Gadkari says there is no job. He alleged that the government having failed to deliver on its main schemes such as 'Swachch Bharat' has pushed the deadline and wants people to believe that its failures are the "achhe din" the BJP had promised to people during its 2014 election campaign. "In 2014, Shri Modi promised a lot of things but now all his 'so-called targets' are to be fulfilled in 2022 (108 months) now - a self-extension of 48 more months," Khera said. The Congress leader said his party would like to tell Modi categorically, that his govt should not last beyond the next nine months. (With inputs from PTI)