Narendra Modi government's work will speak for itself, says Maneka Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Rejecting criticism that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not communicating, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has said the focus was on performance which was "doing the talking".

"The work is talking at the moment. There is absolutely no need for anyone to talk apart from their work," Gandhi said when asked about criticism on Modi's "silence" after becoming Prime Minister.

Last week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had accused Modi of practising "silence" since assuming power, saying his style of governance was "autocratic" which was "not very good" for a healthy democracy. She downplayed the remarks saying, "I don't see this as an attack or criticism. I don't see it as a bad thing."

The Women and Child Development Minister, however, took a dig at the previous Congress-led Government.

"You know Manmohan Singh didn't talk for 20 years. (In Modi government) You are letting your ministers and the work do its talk. It is not that you have got nothing to say like Manmohan Singh," she said.

Asked whether she was happy about her son Varun's progression in politics, Gandhi felt he was doing "very well".

"I think he is doing very well. It's his second time as Member of Parliament and he is very comfortable in it. "He does a lot of reading. He writes articles for a large number of newspapers. He is a very well informed young man and I am happy with his progress," said Gandhi.