PM Narendra Modi meets journalists at Diwali Milan

Speaking at his first media outreach last year, PM Modi had said that he was looking for ways to deepen his old ties with the fourth estate.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday met journalists and editors as part of the Diwali Mangal Milan programme at the BJP headquarters here. Here are the highlights:

- Journalists have mobbed PM Modi to click a selfie with him. 

- After a brief address, PM Modi is now meeting and interacting with journalists and editors.

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- PM Modi is now speaking.

- Also present on stage with PM Modi are Union ministers Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari, Venkaiah Naidu, and BJP president Amit Shah. 

- PM Modi has arrived at the venue and is expected to address and interact with journalists shortly.

Previous story: In his second such media outreach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will shortly meet journalists and editors here on Saturday.

The occasion is Diwali Mangal Milan at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters here.

The interaction comes just a day after Modi reached out to the Opposition, and met Sonia Gandhi and former PM Manmohan Singh over tea to discuss issues that have been stalling the Parliament, including GST Bill.

Today's event was to happen near Diwali but got delayed as PM Modi was busy with his foreign trips.

Apart from PM Modi, other ministers like Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad are also present.

Speaking at his first media outreach last year, Modi had said that he was looking for ways to deepen his old ties with the fourth estate.

That meet came amid criticism that the PM was keeping media at arm's length.

Modi had said at last year's Diwali Milan that the media can play a much larger role in shaping the future of the country.

"Since independence, it was believed that the government would do everything. But media is encouraging people to work for the nation. There is now an environment where citizens are realising that all have to work together," Modi said.