In a non-political interview on Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed that notwithstanding political rivalries West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee used to send him Bengali sweets and his favourite ‘Kurta-Pyjama’ from Kolkata.

In an interaction with film star Akshay Kumar, the Prime Minister detailed some interesting anecdotes of his life saying he has never been nervous while speaking at international fora. Modi said so when Kumar asked him whether he was nervous when he first spoke in the United Nations after taking over as Prime Minister.

Pointing out that  contrary to public perception there is bonhomie among political leaders and they keep good relations with each other, Modi said Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina used to send her Bengali sweets and when Mamataji (West Bengal Chief Minister) came to know about it she would also send him Bengali sweets.  The Prime Minister said TMC chief would also send him a set of ‘Kurta-Pyjama’ each year from Kolkata.  Detailing some of his habits, he said he is in the habit of taking tea without sugar at 5 am and then in the evening at 6 pm under open sky. “But that is not possible in his South Block office,” he said.

Asked what would he want if he gets the magical lamp ‘Aladdin-ka-chirag’, the Prime Minster said  there was nothing like this exists as the concept has come from outside. Neverthless, he said he would wish that all the people in the country be instilled with a notion that hard-work makes everything possible. This is what our ancient wisdom has bequeathed to us, he said.

Relating an interesting incident where he hit out at the `double-faced` practices of Samajwadis, the Prime Minister said once when he came out of the Pune Railway station and was walking down the road, a three-wheeler was slowly moving by his side. After a distance he stopped and asked the ‘Rikshaw wala’ why he was following him. To his surprise, the three-wheeler driver quizzed him   “Are you a Samajwadi ?”  To that Modi asked “ what makes you say so ?”

“Sir, all Samajwadis walk a distance for a while before stepping into a rickshaw as they do not want public to see that they are taking to rickshaw comfort”, Modi said and laughed  suggesting that there was a gap between the preaching and practice of Samajwadis in the county.

While answering the actor’s answer, Modi also quipped about his wife and columnist Twinkle Khanna’s views saying she takes out her anger against (me) that would have balanced Kumar’s family life. “That way I am doing a favour to you,” said a smiling Modi. “I keep tabs on social media to know what is happening in the world. I also keep an eye on your and Twinkle Khanna’s Twitter accounts. The way she vents her anger against me, your family life must be quite peaceful.

“She would take out all the anger against me. You must be at peace. In a way, I feel I have helped you, especially in Twinkleji’s case,” Modi told Kumar in Hindi.

Twinkle was quick to respond to the quote from the interview shared on the BJP’s official Twitter account.

“I have a rather positive way of looking at this — Not only is the Prime Minister aware that I exist but he actually reads my work,” she tweeted. The Prime Minister also recalled meeting Twinkle’s maternal grandfather, entrepreneur Chunnibhai Kapadia.

 Twinkle, a newspaper columnist, is the author of books such as “Mrs Funnybones” and “The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad”.