Didn't fear press: 'Silent PM' Manmohan Singh's jibe at Modi
In an apparent swipe at his successor, Narendra Modi, Dr. Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said he was called the 'silent Prime Minister' but he never shied away from talking to the press. Dr. Singh was speaking at the launch of his book Changing India, a set of five volumes. Since he got a dream mandate in 2014, PM Modi hasn't held a press conference.
Was called silent PM but faced press, says Dr. Singh
"People say I was a silent Prime Minister. But I wasn't the Prime Minister who was afraid of talking to the press. I met the press regularly, and after every foreign trip I undertook, I gave a press conference," Dr. Singh said.
"Don't want to boast of achievements, books speak for themselves"
About the books, which trace Dr. Singh's life as an economist and then as PM for ten years when UPA was in power, he said they speak volumes. "I don't want to boast about achievements as prime minister but the events that took place are well described in these volumes, particularly in the volume that deals with 'Prime Minister Speaks'," he said.
Dr. Singh speaks on being called the accidental PM
Dr. Singh said he was called the 'Accidental Prime Minister' as well, but it shouldn't be forgotten that he was also the accidental Finance Minister. He said he turned a crisis into a great opportunity in 1991, and that life has given him great opportunities which he relishes. " I will never be able to return what my country gave me," he added.
"RBI and Centre are like husband and wife"
Dr. Singh also weighed in on the friction between the Reserve Bank of India and Centre and likened their relationship to a husband and wife. "The RBI, government relationship is like husband and wife; differences must be harmonized so they can work in harmony," he said. Earlier, Dr. Singh had called the resignation of RBI governor Urjit Patel a 'severe blow' to the economy.
Notably, once RaGa told PM Modi press-conference would be fun
PM Modi's reluctance to talk to press has got him criticism. Once Congress President Rahul Gandhi told him it would be 'fun to have questions thrown at you'. He had tweeted, "Btw its been 1,654 days since u became PM. Still no press conference (sic)?"
