New Delhi, February 24: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, February 24, speaking on 53rd Mann ki Baat radio episode, started his talk by paying tribute to the CRPF martyrs of Pulwama terror attack. PM Modi said, "10 days ago, Mother India had to face loss of many of her brave sons. People across the nation are agonized and angry. There is a wave of support and condolence towards the martyrs and their families." Pulwama Attack Aftermath: Centre to Deploy 100 Companies of Paramilitary Forces in Jammu and Kashmir.

PM Modi also said that the monthly ‘Mann ki Baat’ broadcast for March and April stand suspended as the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections are nearing. Narendra Modi to Launch PM-KISAN Scheme from Gorakhpur, Transfer Rs 2,000 Each to 1 Cr Farmer’s Bank Accounts Thought DBT.

The PM said that 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.

In this monthly address through the radio broadcast — the 53rd since Modi came to power in 2014 — he 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.

Opposition parties have in the past demanded stopping the broadcast of Mann ki Baat during elections, saying it violated the model code of conduct as the interaction amounted to the misuse of the prime minister’s programme for political purposes.

Sounding confident of his return to power, he said he will begin the series of conversations under the programme from May with the “power of your blessings” and will keep speaking to people through ‘Mann ki Baat’ for years.

The Prime Minister in his address, said that "The never ending wait after nation's independence for a War Memorial is about to be over. India not having a National War Memorial used to surprise me and really pain me. This new memorial has been built near India Gate and Amar Jawan Jyoti." PM modi also spoke at length about Birsa Munda, calling him "Bhagwan Birsa Munda" and said that youth should see him as a role model as they can learn a lot from his life.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 24, 2019 01:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).