Have kept politics out of ‘Mann Ki Baat’: PM Modi to critics

NEW DELHI: Answering critics who have accused him of expressing his views through his monthly radio programme and not listening to the voice of the people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said 'Mann Ki Baat' reflected the minds, expressions and expectations of people rather than his own opinions.

"Mann Ki Baat has provided me with a unique opportunity to get connected with various feelings and positive energy of the country; emotions of our people which include their desires, expectations and at times, even grievances, which come to their minds. And, I have never said that these are the expressions of my mind," the PM said in the 36th episode of his monthly radio broadcast which was launched on October 2, 2014.

Emphasising that 'Mann Ki Baat' provided him an opportunity to understand the feelings of the common man, Modi said he had kept this programme away from politics and had tried to connect with people without getting diverted by the (political) "heat of the moment or anguish".

Modi expressed confidence that social scientists, universities, research scholars and media experts would undertake an analysis and highlight every aspect of the programme, positive as well as negative, now that it had completed three years. "I am sure that this brainstorming could be useful for 'Mann Ki Baat' in future and will infuse new energy into it," he said.

Recalling Acharya Vinoba Bhave, who led the land reforms movement, the PM said that while conducting the 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, he always kept Bhave's teachings in mind. "He always used to say 'A-sarkari, Asarkari' (apolitical is effective), meaning non-government is effective. I have also tried to focus on the people of the country in Mann Ki Baat."

During the 30-minute broadcast, Modi talked about the cleanliness campaign, pitched for taking forward the movement to popularise Khadi, urged citizens to explore the incredible diversity and beauty of India and spoke about the upcoming Fifa Under-17 World Cup in the country.

He also appreciated Swati Mahadik, the widow of Colonel Santosh Mahadik, and Nidhi Dubey, widow of Naik Mukesh Dubey, who recently joined the Army in order to serve the country.