New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation once again in his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' today. This will be the 12th edition of the programme where the Prime Minister shares his thoughts on different issues. The first edition aired on October 3 last year.
Earlier this week, the Congress had said that the radio speeches should be banned till the elections in Bihar are completed. The party claimed the PM could use the Sunday programmes on state-run All India Radio to unfair advantage for his party by highlighting achievements or making promises that could influence voters in Bihar.
But the Election Commission yesterday gave the go-ahead for the programme, provided nothing is said that may be construed as inducement to voters or having an impact on poll-bound Bihar where model code of conduct is in force.
The Commission said it also has no objection to pre-broadcast publicity through different channels of AIR and Doordarshan.
"...the Commission has no objection to the broadcast of the programme 'Mann ki Baat' over All India Radio on September 20, 2015 and the pre-broadcast publicity through different channels of AIR and Doordarshan subject to the condition that nothing be said therein that may be construed as inducement to voters or as having any impact in election-bound state of Bihar where the Model Code of Conduct is in force from September 9 to November 12, 2015," EC's Principal Secretary K Ajaya Kumar said in the order addressed to I and B Ministry Special Secretary J S Mathur.