NEW DELHI, Apr 18:
Days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s former media advisor Sanjaya Baru created a political flutter, the present communication advisor Pankaj Pachauri came out in Defence of the beleaguered Dr Singh, doling out details of his achievements in various areas of governance in the past ten years of his government. Mr Pachauri said at a ‘Meet the Press Programme’ here that the Prime Minister had made more than 1,000 speeches during the past 10 years, refuting the charge he (Dr Singh) had not communicated with the people as much as he should have.
“It’s not that the PM has not been talking, but because of the nature of the media, his messages have not reached the general public,” Mr Pachauri said, indirectly putting the blame on media for not conveying the Prime Minister’s message in proper perspective .
When asked that the Prime Minister had not spoken much in Parliament either during the past five years ie in UPA 2, Mr Pachauri said there was not much scope for him (the Prime Minister) to speak in Parliament. To a question that the Prime Minister had also not taken active part in the Congress campaign during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Mr Pachauri said it was for the Congress party to decide about the PM’s election rallies. He, however, said the Prime Minister had addressed four rallies so far.
Strongly defending the Prime Minister’s contribution to India’s progress during the past ten years Mr Pachauri said it had never happened in any other democracy and the UPA government had fought against poverty like no other government had done.
Even the progress in infrastructure building and providing employment in India had not been possible in any other country.
GDP had grown three times during the past 10 years.Minimum wages had gone up three times.
“This shows the government is working continuously,”he said.
He, however, said the information was not conveyed by the the media to the people.
“The information is not reaching the people because the media’s priority is different,” he said. Asked whether the Prime Minister react to Dr Baru’s charges in his book, Mr Pachauri said the PMO had already issued a statement and even the Prime Minister’s family and the Congress had spoken. , he said. “…I do not think there is anything new to say about it,” he said.
Mr Pachauri said in reply to a question that he was not writing any book although he had received an offer.
Mr Pachauri said the Prime Minister could not react to reports doing the rounds on Twitter. “The PM of the country cannot reply to every tweet from leaders or press. We have to verify facts and make remarks,” he said.
However, Mr Pachauri said the Dr Singh “Is not a silent PM. He speaks when required.”
He also claimed that during the past two years the communication between media and PMO had improved. Pointing out that the Prime Minister had always preferred to talk about politics on the floor of the house, Mr Pachauri said during the past five years, Parliament had not given him enough chances to speak.
He said the output of news channels in last two years was 25 per cent politics and about 10 per cent entertainment and similarly sports.
But the prime Minister had not talked much on those issues.
“He has preferred to talk about politics on the floor of the house and in the last five years the parliament has not given him enough chances to speak,” he added. (UNI)
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