The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC in Telangana K Kavitha on Sunday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not holding a single press conference in the last nine years.
Addressing the second state-level conference of Telangana Union of Working Journalists at Patancheru near here, Kavitha, the daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said the Prime Minister has so far "avoided" any direct interaction with journalists but gives select interviews.
"Our misfortune is such that in the last nine years the Prime Minister has never held a open press conference once. As far as I know no journalist asked him any question. Because he (Modi) gives interviews to a select few. But, here (in Telangana) our Chief Minister conducts press conference with 300 to 350 journalists and answers the questions raised by reporters," she said.
Stating that a leader should be transparent and responsible, Kavitha said the Prime Minister should be invited to 'Meet the Press' and added "we are with you and let's question him and see".
The former MP from Nizamabad further claimed that the situation has become such that when "we leaders ask question then it is dubbed as political. But when you journalists ask questions it will be neutral and it will be that of people".
She demanded Modi to grant funds for the welfare of journalists on par with the measures being initiated by the Telangana government.
Kavitha said the Telangana government was giving utmost priority to issues of journalists. The government had granted funds of Rs 100 crore for welfare of journalists in the State, but the Centre had never even worried about journalists, she alleged.
Expressing concern over the "disappearance" of investigative journalism, she also sought to know an example of investigative journalism in the country and added "let it be on our own government...(there is) no problem".
According to Kavitha, some media organisations, which had no recognition, were at the forefront of spreading misleading news against the Telangana government.
Telangana Minister V Srinivas Goud, MLA Kranti Kiran, Media Academy Chairman Allam Narayana and several delegates from various states attended the conference.
-With PTI Input
