Thread by @Rnb129

Enough of the nonsense that the Prime Minister has to do press conferences. Where in his JD is it written?
(Sounds like the complaint of a manager who always does appraisals based on out-of KRA metrics 😂)

Here's why it's nonsense:

To make the PM and his Cabinet colleagues accountable, the makers of our Constitution took inspiration from the British Parliament system, and introduced Question Hour as the opening session of a day's Lok Sabha proceedings.

Members could ask any question and a Minister would have to respond on the floor of the house. Each question would have to be a maximum of three minutes long. What more could you ask for?

In the 60s, Speaker Rabi Ray innovated, when other issues were being raised after this. So he allotted one hour after the Question Hour, for any issues of national or international importance which required the attention of the House. Starting at 12 PM, it was called Zero Hour.

For a common man who wishes to have answers from those in power, these two are the devices we have given ourselves. Your representative in Parliament is tasked with holding the government to account, and also because the Prime Minister cannot be everywhere, answering everyone.

That is exactly why it is nauseating to see many scream that the PM has done no press conferences. Why should he, at all, when there are devices to hold the PM to account?

Can someone tell me:
1. Why should he be answerable to the media at all, as if they're some kind of super authority who sit in approval, clearing everything the PM does?

2. If they're tasked with "speaking truth to power", what are the other Members of Parliament for? Isn't that THEIR day-job?

3. If the opposition is not, as the media claims, doing their job, why should the media take that role up? Or this "speaking truth" doesn't extend to the Opposition MPs? Why so? Did anyone ask the Oppn MPs why they promoted vaccine hesitancy?

4. If as the media claims, they stepped in because the opposition is weak, what next? Will they start media trials, if the judiciary continues their slippery slope to irrelevance? Why only the judiciary and the legislature?

If, God forbid, P R Sreejesh and his boys stumble in the Olympic Hockey event this year, will Ravish Kumar step in and become Chowkidaar of India's goalpost henceforth? Or will Rajdeep step in to open the batting if, God forbid, Virat and his friends stumble in the England tour?

5. Does "speaking truth to power" only extend to the "speaking" bit or also deign to accommodate the listening bit? I'm more inclined to believe it is limited to getting a "kick" out of questioning the powers that be, with no intent to be constructive as has been adequately shown

6. For all this talk of "independence of the media", has there been ONE whimper on Rahul Gandhi's direct claim, that he sent three of "his" journalists to the PM's last press conference before LS polls? Did anyone in the media ask him who the three were, or why HE would send any?

So let's not delude ourselves on this whole "independent media speaking truth to power" business. That's just arrogating to them more importance than they do have. Let's call it out for what it is, these days. An avenue to foment anarchy.

Start holding your MP to account instead of treating them as sheep to be counted in your team! The MP of Kollam, N K Premachandran has my utmost respect because of this. He identifies with the once Leftist RSP, and has now gone the UPA way in Parliament, no way a Modi supporter.

He was the top or near the top on most parameters for an MP: attendance %, debates participated in, questions asked, topics intervened in - You name it, he's tops! Isn't that what you want in a peoples' representative?
How many here know your MP or how they've done in Parliament?

The Council of Ministers is supposed to be "pressed" by other elected representatives daily, and strengthening that, is the way to make our democracy stronger. Not by one motivated pack and their "profound" questions.