New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu’s political career and work as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha in a letter, saying, You saw every subject through the prism of nation first.
In the three-page letter, the Prime Minister compared Venkaiah to Acharya Vinoba Bhave, saying that expression has always been your greatest strength. He lauded Venkaiah for his strong faith, quick and effective energy, extensive travel, encouraging first-timers to the Rajya Sabha and vastly improving the performance of the Rajya Sabha. The Prime Minister has lavished praise on Naidu for his concern for parliamentary discipline, anguish and uneasiness over disruptions and his zest for life. In his letter, the Prime Minister also mentioned how he benefited from Naidu’s constitutional knowledge on several matters.
The Prime Minister wrote in the letter that from the small lanes of Nellore to the post of Vice President, your journey has been excellent and inspiring. One can imagine the power of faith and commitment to ideology that inspired you to join a political movement and a party that had little presence in your state. He further wrote that your energy will be effective soon. This can be seen in your eloquence and intelligence. Your one-liners are widely praised.
Expression has always been your greatest strength. The Prime Minister wrote, The writings of Vinoba Bhave ji have always impressed me. He knew how to present things with the most appropriate words. Whenever I listen to you, I see the colours of that radiance. You have the ability to mesmerise the audience and convey things in a simple way. When you were a senior functionary in the party, top-level journalists, correspondents, thinkers, and intellectuals were always eager to hear your insightful and sound analysis of ground-political issues.
In this regard, the Prime Minister also shared an anecdote of Venkaiah’s super-fast Telugu impact on the audience during LK Advani’s Rath Yatra.
The Prime Minister wrote that your cordial relations with the government and opposition benches helped to maintain the House’s spirit of harmony.I was glad to see that for the first time ever, members, women, and youth members got more opportunities to express themselves. The success of your approach is evident from the record growth in the performance of the Rajya Sabha during your years as Chairman.
Referring to the historic bills passed in the last five years, the Prime Minister referred to Articles 370 and 35 (A) and said that these were introduced in the Rajya Sabha for the first time. You must have been proud of it.
He wrote that you have always stood by parliamentary discipline and traditions. I am aware of your personal anguish and distress whenever there is undue disruption or undermining of the dignity of Parliament in any way. There was a deep pain in your voice whenever you spoke about it, expressing your concern for the long-term future of our country and the vibrancy of Parliament.
During your official visits abroad, you clearly articulated India’s position on various subjects.
The Prime Minister described Venkaiah Naidu’s tenure in the BJP organisation as memorable. He wrote that your interest in organisational matters excited every worker. You attempted to strengthen the system in the party by establishing more party offices, ensuring that they are active centres of public service, and by elaborating on the precise roles of each party’s positions.
He further wrote that whatever post you held, even if it was in the party, The common thread was your unwavering commitment to alleviating poverty and suffering.As the Minister of Urban Development after 2014, he was at the forefront of several pioneering initiatives to promote ease of living, be it in expanding India’s metro network or ensuring housing for all.
Speaking about his personal relationship with Venkaiah, Prime Minister Modi said that, personally, I have benefited from your consultations on many matters in our interactions over the past several decades. As Vice President, your objective understanding of governance issues was enriched by his vast ministerial experience and legislative knowledge. You first looked at every subject through the prism of the nation and then expressed your views.
