"Mann Ki Baat" Over, "Jan Ki Baat" Next, Says Congress's Ahmed Patel

Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel on Sunday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his monthly radio programme, saying the series of ''Mann ki Baat'' has come to a halt and now ''Jan ki baat'' (people's opinion) will prevail in the country.

Prime Minister Modi suspended his monthly ''Mann ki Baat'' broadcast for March and April, and said he will be back with the programme on the last Sunday of May, by when results of the Lok Sabha elections are expected to be declared.

"Today the series of Mann ki Baat came to a halt. Now ''jan ki baat'' will prevail in the country. You (people) will speak, we will listen... come, lets move forward together," he tweeted in Hindi.

In this monthly address through the radio broadcast -- the 53rd since PM Modi came to power in 2014 -- the prime minister 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," PM Modi said.

The fate of PM 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.