Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

‘Call for discipline is termed autocratic’

- HT Correspond­ent letters@hindustant­imes.com

NAIDU BOOK LAUNCH Disruption­s in Rajya Sabha enabled the chairman to display his administra­tive expertise: PM

situation in India is such that one who calls for discipline is termed an autocrat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

At the launch of a book by vice-president Naidu on his first year as the Rajya Sabha chairman, PM Modi praised him for being a “disciplina­rian” and said that recent disruption­s in the Upper House enabled Naidu display his administra­tive expertise.

“Naidu is a disciplina­rian, but the situation in the country is such that it has become easy to call discipline undemocrat­ic. If someone even tries to be a disciplina­rian, he has to face the music. He is called an autocrat and they open the dictionary,” the PM said after unveiling the 245-page book titled ‘Moving On... Moving Forward: A Year In Office’.

In Parliament’s Monsoon session, a section of the Opposition had planned protests against Naidu over the way he conducted proceeding­s. The move eventually fizzled out last

NEWDELHI:The

month.

Former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley and senior Congress leader Anand Sharma were also present at the launch.

Singh said that while Naidu had performed admirably in every capacity, the “best is yet to come”.

“He brings to the office of the vice-president, political and administra­tive experience and that is amply reflected in his one year in office. But the best is yet to come. As a poet has said, “Sitaron ke aage jahan aur bhi hain, abhi ishq ke imtehaan aur bhi hain,” Singh said.

Addressing the gathering, Naidu suggested a code of conduct for both MPs and MLAs, within and outside Parliament and state assemblies, for effective functionin­g and restoring people’s confidence in these institutio­ns. Naidu pitched

 ?? PTI ?? PM Narendra Modi (R) and former PM Manmohan Singh during the launch of vicepresid­ent Venkaiah Naidu’s book in New Delhi.
PTI PM Narendra Modi (R) and former PM Manmohan Singh during the launch of vicepresid­ent Venkaiah Naidu’s book in New Delhi.

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