‘Should not speak out of turn to media, must focus on aachaar, vichaar, vyavahaar’
Pushing party MPs to adopt themselves to higher-level of ‘aachaar, vichaar and vyavahaar’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday asked first-time BJP parliamentarians to draw a six-month road map for their respective constituencies, take their work as lawmakers seriously, avoid airing differences in public, use social media extensively and be focused on the larger task of fulfilling the people’s aspirations.
In a motivational speech to around 161 members of the lok Sabha and 18 of the Rajya Sabha at Surajkund, Haryana, Modi said they have a long way to go as a member of the treasury side and should not get disillusioned by small issues “as there is no full stop in politics”.
His address to the new MPs was the latest in the series of ‘Modi-speak’. He had earlier outlined the dos and don’ts to his Council of Ministers, Union Secretaries, party general secretaries and workers ever since his party won a clear mandate on May 16 and he took over the reins of Government on May 26.
“To be an MP is an important thing and one must look at it seriously. Remember, people are observing your performance not only in the House but even outside. Our transition from Opposition to Treasury is not limited to moving a few feet to the other side. This is a significant transition and we must try to appreciate the meaning of this,” Modi, also a first-time MP, said at the two-day workshop in the suburbs of Delhi.
The training and orientation camp for BJP MPs is being attended by Union Home Minister and party president Rajnath Singh, Urban Development Minister
M Venkaiah Naidu, Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Party patriarch lK Advani would deliver the concluding address to the debutant MPs on Sunday.
The BJP is the only party which has organised such a training camp for its MPs. The first one was also held in Haryana during the NDA rule with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister.
Modi was particular in asking the newly-elected party MPs to focus on their conduct both in Parliament and in public as people were observing them. He directed them to nurture their constituencies and spread the message of good governance.
Apparently the lTC scam involving MPs in mind, the MPs were asked not to engage in undesirable practices, which might be furnishing fake bills or allowing unauthorised train travel in their names or influencing transfers or postings by peddling “their influence” as legislators, according to sources. They were also directed to not to rush to media and rather mind their original task as MPs.
He stressed the importance of brevity and focus in Parliamentary speeches with issues being given importance rather than the individual personalities. MPs were asked to take guidance of senior leaders to raise substantial issues in Parliament.
He suggested that party MPs set an example of good behaviour by respecting ruling from the Chair. The month-long Parliament (Budget) session is to commence from July 7 which may test “the workshop orientation” of the new MPs of the ruling party.
On the first-day of the workshop, use of social media was stressed to communicate and receive the feedback from people. They were directed to constantly endeavour to connect with the poor masses who have given them “a chance to serve the motherland”.
While asking the MPs to study parliamentary rules or their subjects “in depth”, Modi seemed to have instantly connected with the rookie lawmakers when he hastened to add that he was also “learning” as a first-time MP.
Taking a dig at those ridiculing such training camps for MPs, Modi said, “lack of training in political establishment is a serious lacunae. But unfortunately, many outside politics take efforts for human resource development very lightly and sometimes even try to ridicule such efforts.”
Urging MPs to eschew all kinds of negativism, Modi said that their approach to the party has to be that of mutuality and fellow-feeling. “We are a family and all are working for a common goal. Try to make new friends, learn from each other and develop a new collectivism,” he said.
Attacking the Congress, the Prime Minister asked the party MPs to highlight the fact that the policies nurtured by the Congress in the last few decades have not been able to mitigate the suffering of the people and solve their problems.
In his presidential remarks, Rajnath Singh said “by our efforts” the largest democracy in our country will be the finest democracy in the world.
Delivering his introductory remarks, Naidu appealed party MPs to understand the contemporary political climate and appreciate the huge burden of people’s expectations. He asked them to ensure proper coordination with the party.
Naidu later told reporters that the workshop for the first time MPs of the party was organised to train them in Parliamentary procedures and make them aware of the BJP ideology.
Earlier, when Modi reached Surajkund in a helicopter, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda received him at the helipad next to the venue.