PM Manmohan Singh's Last Press Conference

Brut India

He was called the "silent Prime Minister" but in 2014, months before the election, Manmohan Singh took a few tough questions from the press. The former PM turns 89 today...

Transcript

00:00I do not believe that I have been a weak Prime Minister.

00:04That is for the historians to judge.

00:07I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media.

00:18Now that 10 years in office have been completed, how would you rate it on a scale of 10?

00:24Well, it is for you people to judge me.

00:27As far as I am concerned, I feel I have done reasonably well.

00:33The growth process that we sustained in the last 10 years, despite the global financial crisis,

00:41despite the Eurozone crisis, and considering also what is happening in other emerging countries

00:48like Brazil, like South Africa, like Indonesia,

00:53I don't think ours is a story which can be described as non-successful or even fruitful.

01:01In the last 7-8 years, we have felt that you have tolerated a lot of nonsense.

01:06And your party people also say that you are an overrated economist and an underrated politician.

01:14What is your take on this?

01:18Well, what you think of me or what the country thinks of me is something which I cannot speculate.

01:28But as I mentioned earlier, I have tried to serve my country with the greatest sense of dedication and commitment.

01:40I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media.

01:48The BJP and Mr. Modi's charge against you is that you have been a weak Prime Minister.

01:54So do you think your party has a role to play in that projection of this view?

02:01Well, I do not believe that I have been a weak Prime Minister.

02:06That is for historians to judge.

02:09Nine and a half years later, how do you think an ordinary man now perceives you as a politician, as a Prime Minister?

02:16Well, I am the same person as I was nine years ago.

02:21There has been no change.

02:23I say with all sincerity that I have tried to serve this country with utmost dedication and commitment and with utmost integrity.

02:35I have never used my office to enrich or to reward my friends or my relatives.

02:41My question is that in the last ten years, you have been accused of remaining silent.

02:46Even in the Congress Party, it has been said that you do not give a political answer at the right time.

02:50What was it about you that kept you silent for the last ten years?

02:53And do you feel that there was something missing that you had to say at some point and you could not say it there?

02:59As far as speaking is concerned, whenever the need arises, I will speak in the party forum and I will continue to speak.

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