"Some people take 'Mann Ki Baat' as a monologue and some criticise it from a political angle," Modi said in his radio programme, the first after the completion of three years of his government.He was clearly answering criticism by the opposition parties which have been alleging that he only says what he wants to and does not listen to the people's voices. "He said the event had given a new dimension to 'Mann Ki Baat'.While talking about the book, he had praise for Akbar, an artist living in Abu Dhabi, who had offered to sketch the topics on which various episodes of 'Mann Ki Baat' without taking a single rupee. "Akbar sahab transformed 'Mann Ki Baat' into art as a gesture of his love. "He said the freedom fighters had suffered "despicable miseries and that is how we can now breathe in a free India. "Once we go there, we realise why it was called 'Kaala Paani' (dark waters)," he said.

Source: Times of India May 28, 2017 10:13 UTC