Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's tenure in his own words

New Delhi: 12:13 pm: I sincerely believe that whatever Narendra Modi has said is not going to materialise.

12:13 pm: India is a hospitable environment for FDI and will continue to be so: PM

12:09 pm: On being called 'an overrated economist and an underrated politician'. - I have done my best. People doubted our ability to run a coalition government. We may have compromised sometime. But, we have done well.

12:07 pm: If the Congress president and vice president have any view its should be reflected. This is not a disadvantage," PM said when he was blamed that the decisions he takes are on the direction of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

12:05 pm: We have done quite a lot for the Sikhs who suffered in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. There is nothing that can be done to compensate the loss of lives but we have tried to do as much as we can to help them out: PM

12:02 pm: We have still got a lot of time before the elections to revive the economy. If we can improve the situation, I will consider the job well done: PM

11:56 am: Nobody has asked to me to step down for any inadequacy that might have taken place during my tenure as the PM: Manmohan Singh

11:55 am: We have done reasonably well despite the global slowdown: PM

11:52 am: The people have deposed their faith in the Aam Aadmi Party. We must respect the democratic process: PM

11:50 am: Sonia Gandhi's support has been an enormous help for me in dealing with complex issues: PM

11:44 am: It will be disastrous for the country to have Narendra Modi as the PM: Manmohan Singh.

11:43 am: I have full confidence that the next PM will be from the UPA.

11:41 am: I believe history will be kinder to me than the media or the opposition parties: PM

11:41 am: I have done as far as I could. It is now for the historians to judge how I have done: PM

11:40 am: Parliamentary system is the best for India. Presidential system will be counterproductive"

11:39 am: "Fencing along Indo-Bangla border is facing some problems," PM on North East issues.

11:37 am: Our government gives highest priority to strengthening diplomatic issues: PM says with regard to current diplomatic standoff with the US over Devyani Khobragade case.

11:34 am: I have spoken whenever there has been a need at the party forum and will continue to do so: PM

11:34 am:"PM admits UPA's failure in areas of inflation and generating employment. Now rest of Congress should also admit this and stop fooling people," tweeted BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain.

11:32 am: Rising price rise was beyond our control, due to global factors: PM

11:29 am: I have enjoyed doing my work, I have done my work with complete integrity without any fear: PM

11:30 am: I never felt like resigning anytime. I have done my job with honesty and integrity: PM

11:26 am: I feel sad that I was the one who said that spectrum allocation should be transparent. Opposition has a vested interest. Sometimes the media also plays into their hands

11:25 am: Rahul Gandhi has outstanding credentials to take over. I hope the party takes the decision at the opportune time.

11:20 am:PM says he will continue till 2014 Lok Sabha elections. After that I will hand over the baton to other person: PM.

11:16 am:To control food prices we need to increase the supply and their storage and distribution, responsibility of which lies with the states: PM

11:14 am: Not been as successful as we would have wished in controlling inflation. Food inflation has increased: PM

11:10 am: Three points that I would like to make. We have not been as successful as we should have been in the job sector. We need to support the small and medium scale industries more: PM

11:07 am: "Cycles of economic growth is turning for the better. India's growth momentum will revive," says PM.

11:05 am: "Should not focus overtly on short term. the growth that we have achieved in the past nine years is the highest that has ever been achieved in a nine year period," says the PM.

11:02 am: "We are set for better times," says the PM

11:02 am: PM Manmohan Singh addresses his first press conference in 3 years and only his third in over nine years.

11:00 am: Information and Boradcasting Minister Manish Tewari sets the stage for the PM to address the press conference.

10:45 am: "No!PM is victim of his Absent Oversight (sic)," Kiran Bedi reacted on experts saying that the PM is a victim of rising expectations.

10:40 am: Veteran political journalist Neerja Chowdhury says the PM wants to tell the nation that he is the most misjudged man.

10:35 am: Eminent historian Ramachandra Guha says Manmohan Singh should have contested in a Lok Sabha election after he was made PM".

10:30 am: Political analysts are of the opinion that Manmohan Singh has failed to meet the rising expectations of the people. They also say that the UPA's decision to include tainted ministers in the Cabinet led to disdain for the Manmohan Singh government. "It's ironic that an honest man is associated with the most dishonest regime," said senior journalist Nalini Singh.

10:25 am: Ahead of the PM press conference, the PMO has released a list of 1364 speeches that he has made in the last nine and a half years.

With Lok Sabha elections around the corner and amidst Manmohan Singh led UPA government facing flak over several issues, the PM is all set to break his silence at a press conference on Friday. Sources say it could be his swansong to make the point that he did his best under pressure.

In his first interaction with journalists in February 2006, the Prime Minister had to defend himself from the Oppositions' criticism that he was a weak PM.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating. I have not done anything to deserve such epithets. I should be judged not by what Mr LK Advani says but what I do," the normally mild and reticent PM asserted himself adding that he was not 10 Janpath's puppet rather UPA chief Sonia Gandhi had an influence on his government and it was not a matter of weakness but a source of strength for him and his government

Over questions of his retirement, on May 24, 2010 he had stated that there was no question of him retiring until he had completed the work which had been handed over to him. He also said, "I would be the first person to admit that we could have done more."

Ironically the questions are unlikely to change. Accused of not being a strong team leader, unable of keeping reforms on track, leading a drifting government, the biggest question he faces is that should he have stepped down earlier or whether he should do it now.

The government has officially denied that the PM will step down before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, sources say he is likely to rule out a third term for himself and could hand over that baton to Congress vice President Rahul Gandhi.