Prime Minister Narendra Modi this morning tweeted a teaser on his Mann Ki Baat radio programme that began at 11 am, saying this episode is "special". It was the last of his monthly radio programmes before the national election.
"Today's #MannKiBaat is special! Do tune in at 11 AM. Later on don't say I didn't tell you in advance," PM Modi tweeted a little after 9 am, with a smiley.
Towards the end of the address, PM Modi said there will be no Mann Ki Baat in March and April due to upcoming election; next broadcast on last Sunday of May. "For the next two months, we will all be busy with the election. I too will be a candidate. Respecting a healthy democracy, the next Mann Ki Baat will be on the last Sunday of May," PM Modi said.
"My thoughts over March, April and the whole of May, I will share with you after the elections. Mann Ki Baat will begin with a new faith and your blessings and I will continue to share my thoughts with you for years," he said.
PM Modi began with a tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the Pulwama terror attack This is his second Mann Ki Baat of 2019 and the 53rd episode of the monthly radio programme.
PM Modi then said the National War Memorial for soldiers who have laid down their lives for the country since Independence will be inaugurated tomorrow. "I was surprised that there was no National War Memorial in India. There must be one such memorial, where we remember the contributions of our valorous heroes, our brave soldiers. I decided thatthere should be such a monument in the country.
The Prime Minister, through his address on the radio, aims to connect with the citizens on a regular basis and inform them about the initiatives of the government and also seeks the support of the peope in nation building and governance.
In the last edition of Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said casting vote is a sacred duty and those who do not use the democratic right should feel the "pain" of not exercising their franchise. He also praised the Election Commission for its "meticulous organising abilities" in holding polls.
Mann Ki Baat is simultaneously broadcast on All India Radio, Doordarshan and the Narendra Modi mobile app. The programme will be broadcast on radio in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast. The regional language versions of the programme will also be repeated at 8 pm.
PM Modi will launch the Rs. 75,000-crore Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur today.
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