'PM jhuke bhi hain, aur thake bhi hain': Congress calls Modi's interview PR exercise

New Delhi: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling the latest Budget and a string of trade deals signed by his government as foundations for 'Viksit Bharat', Congress on Sunday said his remarks in an interview were a "carefully scripted and desperate PR exercise", which part of his "favourite tactic of headline management".

The attack came as Modi gave an interview to PTI and attacked the previous UPA government of failing to achieve substantial trade agreements while emphasising that women will play the "most important role" in Viksit Bharat.

Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said the Prime Minister is "now resorting to his favourite tactic of headline management" as he is "under siege and attack" because of his "surrender to the US" on the trade deal.

"He is trying to divert attention away from his betrayal of lakhs and lakhs of farmers and other capitulations. His so-called interview is no interview, but a carefully scripted and desperate PR exercise. The Prime Minister has bent and is tired," Ramesh said.

The Congress leader claimed that Modi knew that this year's Budget has been a "damp squib and shows every sign of intellectual exhaustion".

"Markets have reacted negatively and investors have been unimpressed. Hence, he feels the need to give an interview a fortnight after the Budget was presented and a few days after it was taken apart by the Opposition in Parliament. As usual, there are Modi-style one-liners that mean little in reality," he added.

Congress Media and Publicity Department chairperson Pawan Khera said no surrender-like deal had taken place during the UPA regime.

He alleged that Modi surrendered to China and US President Donald Trump while claiming that the Prime Minister’s definition of the private sector "does not go beyond Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani".

In his interview, Modi has said that the latest Budget was not a 'now or never moment' born out of compulsion but a 'we are ready' moment born out of preparation and inspiration.

Modi said none of his government's budgets has been made with an attitude of creating run-of-the-mill 'bahi khata' documents as "that is not our approach", according to PTI.