BJP MP Tejasvi Surya has defended Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s over decade-long absence from press conferences, saying traditional media interactions have become “redundant” in an era of direct communication through social media and digital platforms.
The remarks were made during an interaction with students at a college in Bengaluru, where a student asked Tejasvi: “Even though we are the biggest democracy, what's your stance about our honourable Prime Minister not attending any press conference in more than 10 years?”
Responding, Tejasvi described it as a “great question to start with” before explaining his view on the relevance of press conferences in the digital age.
He said, “Don't you think, like how I said, speeches are so yesterday! In the age of 24x7 social media, where I can talk to my voters directly, the purpose of a press conference is… where you have certain barrier between the leader and the people which comes between you. It is redundant.”
He further argued that the Prime Minister continues to communicate regularly with citizens despite not holding traditional media briefings. “It's not that the PM is not communicating. The PM communicates every day,” he added.
The remarks gained traction on social media after a video of the exchange is being circulated.
Tejasvi has not directly responded to the viral clip. However, he later shared photographs from the June 18 event and highlighted his interactions with students. He said that recent engagements with students reflected a “remarkable sense of purpose, ambition, and resolve” among young people to contribute to the country’s progress.
Prime Minister Modi has not taken questions at a formal press conference since assuming office in May 2014, although he has given interviews to journalists on various occasions.
The issue resurfaced during Modi’s visit to Oslo, Norway, in May 2026. After delivering a joint media statement with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Modi did not take questions from journalists. Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng Svendsen asked why he would not “take some questions from the freest press in the world”, but received no response.
Indian officials later clarified that the event was a pre-arranged joint media statement and not an open press conference, adding that leaders are not obligated to answer questions during such diplomatic briefings.