The UPA government may not have marketed its achievements well, but that does not mean that governance has been a failure or that there has been no development, Sam Pitroda, advisor to the prime minister, has said.

Pitroda was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of India’s first transdisciplinary health university, the Institute of Transdisciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, here on Sunday.

“The prime minister is not a marketing guy. But I have great respect for him. People can always spread rumours that he is corrupt. But those are not facts,” he said.

On the upcoming general elections, he said, “We still have enough time. It is not advisable to peek out too early. It is not true that Congress did not do anything.”
On the scams that have struck the UPA, he said a majority of them were blown out of proportion.

“I do not know much about coal and hence I will not comment on it. However, in the 2G scam, we did not lose any money. If the spectrum was sold at a lower price, it would benefit people and not the government,” he said.

On how these scams would affect youth perceptions in the polls, Pitroda said, “I feel sad that the youth do not read. If you read, if you think, I can give you information based on which you can make your decision.”

Pitroda said the media did not highlight any of the achievements of the government. He said the government ushered in RTI and RTE.

“The BJP did not push for RTI. It was a Congress initiative,” he said.

When asked his opinion about the obsession with social media, Pitroda opined that there was no point blaming social media. “It is like a knife. You could cut a tomato or kill someone. It all depends on the choice.”