Mamata dares Modi to take direct questions from her

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a face-to-face question-answer session with her in one of his preferred television channels and said that she was ready to answer any question posed by him.

Taking a dig at Modi, Banerjee said the Prime Minister might require a teleprompter to answer her questions.

"I have even asked him to sit with me for a question-answer session. Why are you (Modi) scared? It's ok if you answer by seeing a teleprompter. (Unlike you) I do not require a teleprompter while talking," Banerjee said at an election rally in Ashoknagar in North 24 Parganas district.

"If you do not like any specific channel, that's ok. Call one of your own channels. Let us sit face-to-face. You can ask me whatever questions you want and I will ask you whatever questions I have. Let's have direct answers," she said.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had earlier challenged Modi to a question-answer session with him besides mocking the Prime Minister for reading out his speeches from teleprompters during his public meetings.

Hailing Trinamool Congress MPs as "dedicated to people", Banerjee said it was only her party that was able to "trouble" Modi in the last five years.

"Only our party has performed in the Parliament in the last five years. If someone could trouble Narendra Modi, it is Trinamool Congress. Our MPs are dedicated (to the people)," she said. IANS