New Delhi: Terming ‘Mann ki Baat’ as a “one-way affair”, former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should hold dialogues with people or at least 10 interactive press conferences instead of the monthly radio broadcast, news agency PTI reported.
Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of his book 'Mera Jeevan Lakshya Uttarakhandiyat' at a hotel in Dehradun on Saturday, Rawat said, “It (100th episode of Mann ki Baat) is good but it is no big deal because it is going to be a one-way affair just like the previous episodes of the programme.”
“It would be better if instead of holding one-way dialogue he really interacts with people in the programme making it a two-way affair or he at least holds ten interactive press conferences,” Rawat added.
READ | Modi Surname Row: Gujarat HC To Resume Hearing Rahul Gandhi's Plea On May 2
Talking about his book that was released by Jagatguru Shankaracharya Rajrajeshwarashram ji Maharaj, Harish Rawat said it is about the spirit of the hill state and the basic goals that led to its creation. "It is about the essence of Uttarakhand, its aspirations," he said.
Asked about the Congress' initial opposition to the statehood cause, Harish Rawat said once he understood the aspirations of the people, he helped build a consensus about it within the party that gave its support to it after the Kolkata session of Congress.
"Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee acknowledged that the support of the Congress was vital in the creation of the three states of Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand," the former chief minister said.
Notably, PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Mann ki Baat’, that was first aired in 2014, will broadcast its 100th episode on Sunday (April 30).