At his two-hour meeting with five editors today, the Prime Minister answered a series of questions in an exercise aimed at deflecting criticism that he is "uncommunicative." The PM told editors that he found this criticism "disconcerting." These are the points he stressed during the meeting:
- Manmohan Singh dismisses talk that he is a lameduck Prime Minister as "clever propaganda" by the Opposition
- I have got maximum cooperation from Sonia Gandhi who has done a superb job as Congress president: PM
- Cabinet reshuffle is "work in progress", says Dr Manmohan Singh but refuses to disclose when it will take place
- PM critical of the media and says that it has become "accuser, prosecutor and judge"
- Police action against Ramdev's supporters at Ramlila Maidan was unfortunate but there was no alternative, says Singh
- We need a strong Lokpal although it is not a panacea: PM
- Government will reach out to civil society but no group can insist that their views are the last word, says PM
- I have no hesitation in bringing myself under the purview of Lokpal but many of my Cabinet colleagues feel that bringing the institution of Prime Minister under it will create instability: PM
- We will find a way out on Lokpal and try for a consensus, says Singh
- Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had complained to him about suspected bugging of his offices and he had ordered Intelligence Bureau to investigate. It is a closed chapter now, says PM.
- Government is committed to pursuing whatever is feasible to deal with black money, tax evasion and corruption but it is not a one-shot operation: PM