The ‘last press conference by an Indian PM in India’ was 10 years ago on this day

NEW DELHI: Journalist Pankaj Pachauri has pointed out on X that the “last press conference” by an Indian prime minister, was held exactly a decade ago on this day, January 3.

“The last press conference by an Indian PM was held exactly 10 years ago today. 62 unscripted questions answered with 100+ journalists present,” he wrote on X.

In the presser mentioned by Pachauri, then prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh hosted over 100 journalists who asked him over 62 questions. Pachauri was Singh’s information and communications adviser. In his time in office, Singh was often criticised by the now-ruling Bharatiya Janata Party for his silence to the media.

Pachauri probably meant that this was the last press conference by an Indian prime minister in India, because despite his refusal to conduct pressers, current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, answered two questions by journalists in the White House during his 2023 state visit to the US.

Modi, who was elected to power in 2014, has not appeared in a single press conference in India since.

The White House episode was so rare that the New York Times noted, “Though he loves speeches at public events, and has leaned into his monthly radio show as a way to deliver messages to the nation, any exposure to unscripted events had been a rarity before the White House event, and probably will be again afterward.”

In his address before the press conference, Singh noted the achievements and failings of his government with a degree of frankness that has since been rare from ruling establishments. He observed the Congress’s lack of success in the assembly polls preceding the general elections and on how the manufacturing sector job market fell short of the government’s targets.

Sharing Pachauri’s post, Congress MP Manish Tewari said that during his 10 year tenure, Singh had held press conferences 117 times.

Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh addressed/ interacted with the Press 117 times during his 10 year tenure between 2004-14.