Modi says no ''Mann ki Baat'' for 2 months; promises to be back in May

Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday suspended his broadcast for two months—March and April—and said he would be back with the programme on the last Sunday of May, by when results of the Lok Sabha elections are expected to be declared.

In this monthly address through the radio broadcast—the 53rd since Modi came to power in 2014—he said he was doing so keeping in mind healthy democratic traditions.

"Elections are the biggest celebration of democracy. In the next two months, we will be busy in the hurly-burly of the general elections. I myself will also be a candidate. Respecting healthy democratic traditions, the next episode of 'Mann Ki Baat' will be broadcast on the last Sunday (May 26) of May," Modi said. 

Opposition parties have in the past demanded stopping the broadcast of Mann ki Baat during elections, saying it violated the model code of conduct as the interaction amounted to the misuse of the prime minister's programme for political purposes.  Sounding confident of his return to power, he said he will begin the series of conversations under the programme from May with the "power of your blessings" and will keep speaking to people through 'Mann ki Baat' for years.

The fate of Modi's 'Mann ki Baat' broadcast will depend on the results of the Lok Sabha elections as the programme will continue only if he is reelected and becomes prime minister. PTI 

Tributes

Modi  paid tributes to the Central Reserve Police Force troopers who were killed in a suicide attack in Pulwama on February 14.

The prime minister said the “patriotism” that the bereaved family showed was inspiration and set an example for the youth today.

Modi also spoke about the National War Memorial, which he said was ready and would be dedicated to the defence forces on Monday.

“The memorial will provide panoramic view of sacrifices of personnel of the defence forces,” he said, as he lauded the roles played by defence and police forces in the country.

He also paid tributes to tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda and noted industrialist Jamshedji Tata.