Since an actual press conference is too much to ask for, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave an interview to ANI’s Smita Prakash January 1, 2019. From demonetisation to waivers of farmers’ loans, to the idea of Congress-mukt (Congress-free) India and to surgical strikes, and the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, Modi ‘answered’ pretty much all the ‘questions’ posed to him.
While the interview was ostensibly missing follow-up questions to Modi’s replies, Twitter came to the rescue, with its fair share of repartee and wit to poke fun—and holes—at the interview. Here are a few of tweets:
Karan Thapar has set the bar so high that every Modi interview surviving beyond 10 minutes seems scripted.
— Happucrat (@AreeDada__) January 1, 2019
If Smita Prakash cannot ask a tougher question than even Nirmal Kumar Jain, why is she even pretending to be a journalist?
— Suvojit (@suvojitc) January 1, 2019
When we fight for women from a minority religion we label it “gender equality”, when we DON’T fight for women from a majority religion we label it “tradition”.
Because, politics > religion > tradition > equality > women#ModiInterview #PMtoANI #StopTheHypocrisy https://t.co/gmqZSnp6C3
— Meghna Pant (@MeghnaPant) January 1, 2019
“My answers. Now ask the questions.” An old yet timeless cartoon by @satishacharya pic.twitter.com/OJtJxzwHHX
— SamSays (@samjawed65) January 1, 2019
Just did an in-depth interview with @ShashiTharoor for my @gulf_news column SWAT analysis & then saw the Panna Pramukh IV with Modi. Was it a pravachan or #MannKiBaat Ms Prakash asked no follow up Qs. What a joke
— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) January 1, 2019
Before Starting Interview;
Anchor : Sir, “What would you like to have? Tea or Coffee?”
Modi Ji : “Filtered Questions.”????????#Modi2019Interview@PresidentVerde @Pun_Starr @Vishj05 @AzyConTroll @AreeDada__ @rkhuria @Nehr_who @Advaidism @polysmind @AacharyaSahiiL @akashbanerjee pic.twitter.com/4Wfo6A1Ic9
— Salman Hamdaan (@SalmanHamdaan) January 1, 2019
‘Puducherry ko Vanakkam’ is here to stay:
How it ended folks?
By saying ANI Ko Vanakkam?
????
— James Wilson (@jamewils) January 1, 2019
Point is NOT how good or bad was #Modi2019Interview…The real story is how Modi is being forced to sit for these ‘interviews’ now
Even the PM’s massive PR machinery realises that years of silence / one sided tweets / Mann Ki Baat lectures / long-winded speeches…haven’t worked— Akash Banerjee (@akashbanerjee) January 1, 2019
So many follow-up questions:
Loved it when Smita Prakash Countered – “Then why don’t we see u taking action against ur party leaders, who instead of condemning, garland, justify, support Lynchers”. I mean i didn’t see her counter it but am sure she would have pic.twitter.com/Gk0jZuylbi
— Joy (@Joydas) January 1, 2019
And here is our personal favourite:
I heard yesterday Dolores Umbridge interviewed The Dark Lord?
— Dr. J. (@juneymb) January 2, 2019