Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that he has many friends among opposition leaders and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, one of the harshest critics of the PM, sends him kurtas and sweets to him every year.
Modi revealed this in a 'non political interaction' with actor Akshay Kumar which was aired by TV channels today.
"I have many good friends in the Opposition. We do eat food together once or twice a year," PM Modi told Akshay.
Recounting an incident from the past, Modi said, "Long time back when I was not even the Chief Minister (of Gujarat), I had gone to Parliament for some work. There Ghulam Nabi Azad and I were having a friendly conversation. When we came out media people asked, how can you be friends with Azad as you belong to RSS. Ghulam Nabi gave a good answer. Hum dono saath khade the, bola dekho bhai bahar jo aap log sochte ho, aisa nahi hai. Shayad ek family ke roop me hum log jitne jude hue hain sabhi dal ke log, wo shayad bahar kalpana nahi kar sakte (While we two were standing, he said that what you people think outside, it's not like that. Maybe the way we the people of all the organisations are connected as a family it can't be imagined outside)."
"Mamata didi saal me aaj bhi mujhe ek-do kurte wo khud select karne jati hain (Even today Mamata didi herself selects one-two Kurtas for me in the year). She sends one-two Kurtas for me. Even Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sends sweets to me three-four times in a year especially from Dhaka. When Mamata didi got to know this, then she also sends sweets for me one or two times in a year," he added.
Also Read: From relationship with Mamata Banerjee to his fashion sense: PM Modi opens up in 'non political' chat with Akshay Kumar
Interestingly, Mamata has mostly been critical about Modi and his government at the Centre. On Sunday, she had accused him of causing hardships to the people through demonetisation and said the electorate in West Bengal would pay back by not casting a "single vote" for him.
"In the (2014) elections, Narendra Modi's BJP party had won. But, in the last five years, the government has betrayed Bengal. He (Modi) is coming here and saying lies. He comes flying to Bengal at the time of elections and is nowhere to be seen in other times," she said at a public rally.
Before that on April 4, Mamata Banerjee had even termed Prime Minister Modi as "Hitler's uncle".
A day before that she called Modi as "expiry babu" and said, "His government has expired. You (Modi) said in Siliguri that we did not do anything for the poor. What have you done in the last five years? I have never seen a Prime Minister telling these many lies. Do not speak lies every day."
On April 3 itself, Prime Minister Modi had called Banerjee as "speedbreaker Didi".
Lok Sabha elections began on April 11 and will continue for over a month till May 19 across seven phases, followed by counting of votes on May 23. The polling of three phases - April 11, April 18, April 23 - has already been held and next four phases of voting will be held April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19 for 543 Lok Sabha seats across the country. Nearly 90 crore voters are eligible to vote in this election.
(With ANI inputs)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "File Photo:")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}