Modi Must Hold Dialogue With People Instead Of One-Way Mann Ki Baat: Harish Rawat

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Saturday advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a dialogue with people or at least 10 interactive press conferences instead of his 'Mann ki Baat' which he described as a "one-way affair."

Replying to questions from reporters about the 100th episode of Modi's Mann Ki Baat to be broadcast on Sunday, Rawat said, "It 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 said on the sidelines of the launch of his book 'Mera Jeevan Lakshya Uttarakhandiyat' at a city hotel.

The book was released by Jagatguru Shankaracharya Rajrajeshwarashram ji Maharaj.

Talking about his book, Rawat said it was about the spirit of Uttarakhand, 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, Rawat said once he understood the aspirations of the people he helped build a consensus about it within the party which gave its unstinted support to it after the Kolkata session of the 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," Rawat said.

Referring to the imposition of president's rule in the state during his chief ministership in 2016, he said the book is also about BJP's attempt to throttle democracy in Uttarakhand.

-With PTI Input