New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed the media during a Diwali function in an annual interaction that takes place at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in Delhi since the past three years when the party came to power.


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Speaking about the relations between politicians and media he said, "Nowadays, you complain that we do not get to sit and chat like we used to...there was also a time earlier when I used to speak to you but could not find you...Times have changed and that has created a crunch for us to interact with each other," 


"It is nice to meet my friends from the media without their cameras, papers, and pens. We have a long association with each other and there is an understanding with which we all work for the country," he said.


Applauding the media, he said that the press has a huge impact on people. Taking the example of the cleanliness movement, he thanked media for its help in the campaign. "In the past few days, all newspapers have been filled with the criticism of the government. But the focus on the cleanliness movement by the media is praiseworthy. Everyone has wholeheartedly supported the movement," he said.


He also added that is only with experience that one understands who comes with an agenda and who comes to serve the people of the country. 


"Democracy in political parties is a subject more people should know more about. We need to have transparency in the recruitment that political parties do," he said. 



Along with the Prime Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah and union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Smriti Irani also attended the Deepawali Mangal Milan Samaroh at Bharatiya Janata Party Headquarters for their media outreach programme.