Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not only follow Right-wing trolls on Twitter, he follows his critics too.

Modi told Akshay Kumar in an interview broadcast on Wednesday that the actor must be leading a “peaceful” domestic life because his wife, Twinkle Khanna, vents her anger on the Prime Minister.

Twinkle, an author and columnist, responded promptly by tweeting: “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.”

Twinkle and Akshay, who is seen as leaning towards the BJP, have often spoken about how their different political ideologies do not affect their personal life.

In the ANI interview, a beaming Modi told Akshay, whose film Toilet-Ek Prem Katha he had earlier endorsed: “I keep tabs on social media to know what is happening in the world. I also keep an eye on your and Twinkle Khannaji’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.”

Akshay looked stumped, smiling sheepishly.

Later in the interview, billed as “candid and completely non-political”, Modi recalled meeting Twinkle’s maternal grandfather, entrepreneur Chunnibhai Kapadia.

Modi is known to follow on social media trolls who have used filthy language to describe murdered journalist Gauri Lankesh, made misogynistic comments, spread anti-Muslim feelings and rumours and suggested dropping an atomic bomb on Pakistan.

Twinkle, who has authored books like Mrs Funnybones and The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, has been critical of several policies of the Modi government, the climate of intolerance and chest-thumping nationalism.

After Modi announced demonetisation of high-value notes in 2016, Twinkle had tweeted along with a picture of a Mickey Mouse note and coins: “Someone tells me — 2018 this will be the Rs 500 note and Rs 2 coin. Under given circumstances — probable or they are just taking the Mickey out of me!”

Her Twitter take on the beef ban was: “Want to eat meat, go ahead & if someone has a beef with that then hold your ground — don’t chicken out or there really will be egg on your face.”