On the evening of Friday, 20 July, speaking in the debate before the trust vote, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had the opportunity to answer the several questions that members of the Opposition had posed. In the run-up to his speech, we at The Quint too had drawn up a list of questions that we would have liked the PM to answer.
Here is how he responded to them.
1. Political Backing to Lynch Mobs?
2. No Means No, Unless She’s Your Wife?
4. Misinformation: Deliberate or Conveniently Accidental?
5. Electoral Funding Ki Daal Hi Kaali Hai
6. The Absconding Modi
7. “Followed by the PM”: Your Relationship With Vicious Trolls
8. “Dunno” Demonetisation?
9. Non-Performing Assets
10. The Promised Jobs
The prime minister could have chosen to make use of the occasion of the no-confidence vote and answered some of the tough questions posed to him by Opposition leaders, journalists and citizens alike. Instead, he ducked most of the questions and stayed clear of several of the issues raised. His almost constant refrain was to blame the Congress and its past governments for all of India’s ills.
For Prime Minister Modi, these questions missed may well prove to be a golden opportunity missed.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)