Mann Ki Baat 137: Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel joins booth workers in Ahmedabad
Synopsis
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel sat alongside booth workers in his own constituency to listen to PM Modi's 137th Mann Ki Baat — a deliberate grassroots signal. The episode packed in Vocal for Local, an anti-drug appeal for youth, women's empowerment and a shoutout to a citizen-built history website, reflecting the BJP's use of the monthly broadcast as both a policy platform and an organisational tool.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel attended a collective listening event at Booth No.
172, Thaltej Ward , Ahmedabad on 30 August .
PM Modi's 137th Mann Ki Baat episode focused on grassroots participation, technology, start-ups and nation-building.
Modi made a special appeal for the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan' , urging communities to keep youth free from substance abuse.
The 'Vocal for Local' initiative and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' were highlighted as priorities, along with 'Nari Shakti' and environmental conservation.
Modi praised the 'Bharatrajya' website by Krishna Sheshadri for making India's history digitally accessible.
The BJP organised statewide listening events across Gujarat involving youth, farmers, professionals and women.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Sunday, 30 August joined booth-level workers, local leaders and residents at Booth No. 172 in the Thaltej Ward of Ghatlodia Assembly constituency — his own seat — to listen collectively to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 137th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'. The monthly radio address centred on grassroots participation, youth empowerment and nation-building initiatives.
Key Themes of the 137th Episode
Prime Minister Modi used the address to spotlight a wide range of community-driven efforts. He emphasised the 'Vocal for Local' initiative, urging citizens to support local products, indigenous goods, art and cultural heritage as pillars of an 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. The episode also highlighted new-age experiments, start-ups and the application of technology across sectors as drivers of grassroots development.
Modi drew attention to successful citizen-led initiatives in cleanliness, environmental conservation and women's empowerment — referred to as 'Nari Shakti' — and acknowledged both modern and traditional farming practices adopted by local farmers across the country.
Anti-Drug Appeal and Youth Focus
A significant portion of the address was devoted to keeping India's youth free from substance abuse. The Prime Minister made a pointed appeal for renewed momentum behind the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan', calling on communities to shield young people from addiction and enable them to contribute meaningfully to the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat'.
Technology and Heritage: The Bharatrajya Mention
Modi also praised the 'Bharatrajya' website, created by Krishna Sheshadri, commending the initiative for leveraging technology to make India's history more accessible to the public. The mention underscored the episode's broader theme of marrying digital innovation with cultural consciousness.
Gujarat's Statewide Participation
The Thaltej gathering was one of many organised across Gujarat under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where community groups — including youth, farmers, professionals and women — participated alongside the broadcast. Chief Minister Patel, attending among booth workers and local residents, described 'Mann Ki Baat' as a source of 'inspiration, energy and a resolve for nation-building'. He reiterated the importance of carrying the programme's messages to every corner of Gujarat.
As the 137th edition of a programme that has run since 2014, Sunday's broadcast reinforces the BJP's strategy of using 'Mann Ki Baat' as a grassroots mobilisation tool, with booth-level listening events serving as both community outreach and organisational exercises ahead of electoral cycles.
Point of View
With booth-level listening events functioning as party mobilisation drills. Patel's presence in his own constituency seat is not incidental; it signals that the BJP treats each episode as a ground-level touchpoint. The 137th edition's dual focus on anti-drug messaging and Vocal for Local reflects a careful calibration: welfare optics for the youth vote and economic nationalism for the trader-farmer base. Whether these appeals translate into measurable policy outcomes — reduced addiction rates, higher local-product adoption — remains a question the monthly format is not designed to answer.
NationPress
30 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the theme of PM Modi's 137th Mann Ki Baat episode?
The 137th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat', broadcast on 30 August, focused on grassroots participation, youth empowerment, the Vocal for Local initiative, women's empowerment (Nari Shakti), environmental conservation and the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan against substance abuse. Modi also praised technology-driven citizen initiatives, including the Bharatrajya heritage website.
Where did Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel listen to Mann Ki Baat?
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel listened to the programme at Booth No. 172 in the Thaltej Ward of Ghatlodia Assembly constituency in Ahmedabad — his own electoral seat — alongside booth workers, local leaders and residents.
What is the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan mentioned in Mann Ki Baat?
The Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan is a government-led campaign aimed at keeping India's youth free from drug and substance abuse. PM Modi used the 137th episode to call for fresh momentum behind the initiative, framing a drug-free youth as essential to building a 'Viksit Bharat'.
What is the Bharatrajya website that PM Modi mentioned?
Bharatrajya is a website created by Krishna Sheshadri that uses technology to make India's history more accessible to the public. PM Modi highlighted it during the 137th Mann Ki Baat as an example of citizen-driven digital innovation with a cultural purpose.
How did the BJP organise Mann Ki Baat listening events in Gujarat?
The BJP organised community-focused collective listening events across Gujarat, bringing together diverse groups including youth, farmers, professionals and women to hear the broadcast simultaneously. The Thaltej gathering attended by CM Patel was one of many such events held statewide on 30 August.
