PM's interview bereft of reality, full of rhetoric: Congress

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his interview was full of rhetoric and there was no mention of ground realities or any concern for promises made by him to the people. Hitting back + , the BJP said that Congress is working overtime to negate the positive message of the PM's comments.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Prime Minister should have spoken about the suffering caused to the people from note ban and GST, bank frauds, black money, national security and farmers woes.

"Summary of Modiji's ‘monologue' interview - ‘I', ‘Me', ‘Mine', ‘Myself'. The country is suffering your ‘I's and ‘lies'," he tweeted.



Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the people of the country cannot be "fooled" through a "fixed interview" and dared him to face Parliament and a press conference.

The former Union minister said the prime minister did not spare the people of the country from his penchant for "false promises, hollow claims and propaganda".

Sharma also attacked the prime minister over his claims on surgical strikes, saying "it is a national shame that the Prime Minister seeks to politicise the surgical strike and divide the country."



"PM Modi did not spare our people of his penchant for false promises, hollow claims and propaganda even on the New Year day. The habitual peddler of untruths and lies has signalled a nasty narrative for the 2019 election campaign.

"People cannot be fooled through a fixed interview. Have the courage to face us in Parliament or address a press conference. Having betrayed the people, do not beg Lord Ram to save you. He did not ask you to lie in the first place," Sharma tweeted.

He said the country is proud of its armed forces, their courage and sacrifice and they belong to and defend India and do not belong to any political party.

"Let me remind you that PM Modi did not acknowledge the historic contribution of Smt Indira Gandhi in the liberation of Bangladesh and the surrender of Pakistani Army. The task of guiding troops is best left to our brave commanders," he said.

Surjewala said, "Bereft of ground reality, 'jumlas' (rhetoric) galore, Modiji's interview looks like a parody."

"Nation suffers - DeMo, Gabbar Singh Tax (GST), bank frauds, black money, Rs 15 Lack in every account, corruption in Rafale deal, price rise, national security imperilled, farm distress, and 'acche din'," he said on Twitter.

In another tweet in Hindi, Surjewala said that neither is there any talk of ground realities, nor is there any concern for promises made in the PM's interview.

Hitting back at the Congress, BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said it is not surprising that it was "desperately working overtime" to negate the positive message of the prime minister's comments.

"It is a comprehensive, detailed and candid interview in which the PM has spoken on a wide range of issues that have been in the media space for some time. This interview completely demolishes the motivated agenda of opposition parties and vested interests that seek to malign the sterling performance of his government," Kohli said.

Echoing similar sentiments, another BJP spokesperson, Shahnawaz Hussain, said, "All the false narratives that the opposition was trying to build for many months were demolished by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in just one interview. That's the power of truth and commitment."

In the interview broadcast by various television channels, Modi talked about a host of issues including surgical strikes, the Ram temple construction and personal attacks on him by the Congress.

Modi also accused the Congress leadership of politicising and delaying the legal process in clearance of Ram temple construction.