The much awaited press conference of Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh, after a five year gap, in the nation�s capital today, turned out to be quite a dud. Apart from him making it clear that he was in no mood to abdicate his post in hurry, and making it clear that Rahul Gandhi is welcome to the cabinet anytime, he was as cautious and guarded in his response as he is always expected to be. Yes, he did admit that there was a CBI enquiry going on under the supervision of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) on the 2G spectrum issue. Which means, that A.Raja and his cohorts are still really not in the clear, hopefully?
Why did the PM�s press conference not produce the sparks and newsy stories that one expects from such an event, especially when it is held after such a long gap? Sitting in a TV studio trying to make sense of the Press conference this morning, it was difficult to keep one awake. So boring the event was turning out to be.
Can one blame the Prime Minister for the lacklustreness of the event? Certainly not. After all, he was there sitting for nearly an hour and half, willing to answer any questions thrown at him, or at least attempt to answer the questions. But what came by his way, were by and large timid stuff, some even overtly fawning over him and congratulating him, which took away any bite the question could have.
It is fundamental journalism school stuff that you get what you ask. If you don�t ask sharp questions, you don�t get sharp answers. If you don�t ask penetrating questions, you don�t get interesting answers and if you don�t ask trick questions, you don�t trap the interviewee or the person addressing the press conference. If you ask hackneyed questions, you get hackneyed answers. And today�s press conference was exactly that, hackneyed.
Now what were those questions which remained un-asked?
Ok, Let me try.
1. Opposition and even large number of people in this country call you a puppet Prime Minister. Do you see yourself as a puppet of Congress President Sonia Gandhi as you are made out to be?

Would we all not love to hear what he has to say to this question and whatever answer he gives will be newsworthy?

2. You keep saying that you have asked Rahul Gandhi several times to join the Cabinet and that the doors of the Cabinet are open to him always. Do you think he is the only young MP in the Congress party worthy of such a privilege? Are there not other younger MPs who also are equally good if not better than him, for you to request them to join the Cabinet?

Is this not a question which has to be asked in all fairness to many other bright and young MPs in the Congress party as well as among the allies of the UPA?

3. There is a general belief that you have concentrated too much of your efforts in the last three years or so, on the foreign policy and have neglected the domestic concerns, resulting in your core strength�economic policy�being neglected, and resulting in rising inflation?

For an economist PM should this not have been asked?

4. You did not lose much time in demanding/accepting the resignation of Shashi Tharoor from the Ministry. But when Home Minister Chidambaram and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel offered to resign after Dantewada and Mangalore respectively, you rejected it. So do we conclude that in your opinion Tharoor was guilty of misuse of his office and the other two were not responsible for the disasters related to their ministry?

Was this not a natural question, when there are double standards adopted on the face of it, for a journalist to ask, to seek accountability for a PM�s actions?

5. Your Government has passed a legislation allowing foreign universities into India. Will this not create further divide among the elites and have-nots? Is this policy in tune with your oft-repeated concern for �inclusive growth�?

Is this not an important question in the context of increasing divide between India and Bharat?

6. One of the reasons for the continuing spurt in prices of food items is alleged to be your government�s policy of allowing futures trading in food commodities. Is this policy of allowing futures trading, not resulting in speculation and leading to price rise? How do you defend your policy?

One of the biggest concern today is rise in prices of food items, and futures trading is a highly controversial issue. Should this question not have been asked?

7. You repeatedly say that naxalism is the biggest internal security problem to the country. You are aware that naxalism is flourishing in areas which are inhabited largely by tribals. Your government in its first tenure passed the Forest Rights act. How have you ensured that this act is implemented in these regions? How many tribals and forest dwellers have so far benefitted from this act?

Just talking of naxalism in convenient clich�s and asking questions seeking headlines or sensationalism cannot really tie down a PM, can it?

8. On the question of Minorities, specially Muslims who form the largest minority, one of their biggest fears/complaints is their stereotyping and targeting by even the security forces and police. Take the instance of Batla House encounter; one of the Congress� senior General Secretaries has openly said that he has doubts about this encounter. Do you agree with him? If not, why don�t you agree? Do you agree that Muslim youths face a threat of stereotyping in this country?
Is this not a relevant question, when nearly 14 percent of the country faces such a threat and the Government goes on giving promises of providing a level-playing field?
9. On the question of your authority as a Prime Minister, do you think you really have any say in deciding who is going to be in your cabinet and who is not going to be? This is in relation to both members of the Congress party and more so in the case of your allies?

Reams have been written about how he has no say about who is in his Cabinet. So was this not a relevant question, especially in the context of the A.Raja controversy?

10. Coming to Pakistan, in Sharm-el-sheikh, you made an offer to Pakistan that India has nothing to hide, and if any proof is provided on its involvement in Baluchistan, you would look into it. This statement was heavily criticised by many quarters here. Have you received any evidence of Indian intelligence agencies� involvement in Baluchistan from Pakistan government?

Is this not a relevant question, purely from journalistic and public interest point of view?