Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday sought to dispel the perception of policy paralysis when he addressed a press conference, broadly speaking on three areas – politics, economy and foreign affairs – outlining what has been achieved and what remains to be done.
Addressing the media, Manmohan Singh said he will hand over the top job to a new leader after general elections due by May.
HIGHLIGHTS
* We will reflect on the results of assembly elections and learn appropriate lessons: PM
* No individual or authority can substitute the due process of democratic governance: PM.
* Global growth cycle turning for the better: Prime Minister.
* All emerging economies including India faced slowdown in the past couple of years: PM
* We are set for better times, says PM highlighting growth rate in past 9 years is the highest.
* Number of people below poverty line has come down: PM.
* Inspite of unprecedented Parliamentary hold-up, we have passed several important laws: PM
* Concerned over not generating employment in manufacturing sector; need efforts to support medium and small enterprises: PM.
* Not successful in controlling inflation, need to increase supplies to keep food prices under control:PM
* Worry about inflation is legitimate but income for most people have increased faster than inflation: PM
* Any wrong doing in government decisions will be punished through due process of law: PM
* I will hand over the charge to a new Prime Minister after the elections in a few months: PM
* We have not been successful in controlling persistent inflation primarily because food inflation has increased: PM
* We will continue to implement our policies to revive growth, promote enterprise, generate employment and eliminate poverty: PM
* We will announce the Congress PM candidate at an appropriate time: PM.
* Corruption charges against government relate to UPA-I and people of the country have not heeded to those charges and given us a second term: PM
* When history is written, we will come out unscathed: PM
* I have ruled myself out as a PM candidate if UPA comes back to power. Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to be the PM candidate: PM
* I am confident that people will recognise the need for an alliance led by Congress for carrying out economic and social revolutions: PM.
* Price rise was a factor in people turning against Congress in the recent assembly polls: PM
* It was in fact I who insisted on transparency in coal block allocation: PM
* I regret that the benefits of implementation of Sachar Committee recommendations could not reach all people: PM
Price rise could be a factor for people turning against Congress party: Surge in intern’l commodity, energy prices made effective price control difficult: PM
* So long as we are in power we will continue to push the ball of reforms: PM.
* I have served the country with utmost dedication and integrity. I have never used my office to enrich my friends or relatives: PM
* I did not get time to apply my mind on allegations against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh : PM
* There are some hiccups and temporary aberrations. Diplomacy should be given a chance to resolve issues between India and the US: PM
* If you measure the strength of Prime Minister by presiding over mass massacre of innocent citizens on streets of Ahmedabad, then I do not believe in it: PM
* Under compulsion of coalition politics I have served as best I could: PM
* We have maintained and sustained the momentum of rapid economic growth: PM
* It has worked exceedingly well, PM on dual centres of power with Congress President.
* I have not been able to visit Pakistan as circumstances were not appropriate to achieve solid results. Still hopeful of making it during my tenure: PM
* I have always felt that our government would have strengthened if Rahul Gandhi had joined it: PM
* Nobody (in Congress) has asked me to step down because of any inadequacies as Prime Minister: PM
* My best moment as PM was when we struck a nuclear deal with the US, says PM
* Corruption is an issue. Aam Admi Party has been able to make success out of their concerns of eradication of corruption, says PM
* Dealing with corruption not an easy process. All parties must collectively grapple with it, says PM
* I have publicly apologised to the Sikh community on behalf of the government. What happened in 1984 should have never happened: PM
* I still have not thought through what I will do after my tenure ends as Prime Minister, says PM
* No decision on raising quota of subsidised LPG cylinders: PM
* It is not a disadvantage or drawback to make corrections on the direction of party leadership in national interest: PM
* History will be kinder to me than the contempory media and the opposition parties in Parliament: PM
* Will endeavour to create an atmosphere to pass five-six anti-corruption bills in Parliament, says PM
* My two terms have displayed the Congress’ ability to run a coalition government. Compromises were made in peripheral issues and not on national problems, says PM
