ANI editor-in-chief Smita Prakash, who recently conducted an interview with PM Modi, hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi after he called her ‘pliable’.
ANI editor-in-chief Smita Prakash, who recently conducted an interview with PM Modi, hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi after he called her ‘pliable’.
She wrote on Twitter: “Dear Mr Rahul Gandhi, cheap shot at your press conference to attack me. I was asking questions not answering. You want to attack Mr Modi, go ahead but downright absurd to ridicule me. Not expected of a president of the oldest political party in the country.”
Dear Mr Rahul Gandhi, cheap shot at your press conference to attack me. I was asking questions not answering. You want to attack Mr Modi, go ahead but downright absurd to ridicule me. Not expected of a president of the oldest political party in the country.
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) January 2, 2019
Read: Rahul Gandhi's attack on journalist and calling her pliable shows his real take on press freedom
1. Give me 20 minutes with PM Modi
)
Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in an interview that no questions were being raised on him in the Rafale deal, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said "don't know in which world" the PM is living.
Gandhi also challenged Modi to have a one-on-one debate with him on Rafale, combat aircraft or any strategic issue.
"Just give me 20 minutes with the prime minister one-on-one on Rafale and then you decide what is what. But the prime minister doesn't have the guts.... He does not have the guts to come and sit in front of you," the Congress chief told reporters at a press conference.
2. Did you see PM's interview, asks Rahul
)
In a dig at the prime minister for his one-and-a-half-hour interview on Tuesday, Gandhi said: "Did you see the prime minister's interview yesterday, he was laughing. Pliable journalist (was interviewing). She was questioning and also giving prime minister's answers." Gandhi said he found it very interesting that the prime minister said that there is no question against him in the Rafale deal.
3. BJP reacts
)
The BJP Wednesday demanded Congress president Rahul Gandhi's apology for terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi's television interview "staged" and that it was conducted by a "pliable journalist".
4. BJP media head slams Rahul
)
In a late night statement, BJP media head Anil Baluni defended the journalist who interviewed Modi and said Gandhi's attack on the media person was reflective of the Congress' mindset about journalists in general.
"This has been the Congress' mindset about independent journalism. Rahul Gandhi's DNA is of the Emergency. His party has a history of throttling journalism. He should apologise to the country's journalists for his petty remarks," he said.
5. Grandson of Emergency dictator: Jaitley
)
Reacting, FM Jaitley wrote; "The Grandson of the ‘Emergency dictator’ displays his real DNA – attacks and intimidates an independent Editor."
The Grandson of the ‘Emergency dictator’ displays his real DNA – attacks and intimidates an independent Editor.
— Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) January 3, 2019
