Overview

• Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh on June 8 accused Prime Minister Modi of producing and scripting media interactions instead of facing untethered questioning
• The party challenged Modi to grant his first unscripted, undoctored press conference as he marks 11 years in office
• On June 9 at Bharat Mandapam, BJP President JP Nadda addressed journalists at noon, prompting Congress to say the prime minister is “running away” from direct questioning
• Congress contrasted Modi’s media strategy with those of his predecessors, who regularly held spontaneous press meetings under democratic norms
• The BJP and government have not issued any response to the opposition’s call for an open question-and-answer session with the prime minister