Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu spoke to people from various walks of life and with several veteran politicians including L.K. Advani and Manmohan Singh during the lockdown , saying the virtual seclusion period provided a rare opportunity to reflect on life and connect with friends.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Mr. Naidu said, “Life will never be the same for everyone in the wake of the changes triggered by the pandemic at the individual as well as the societal level.”
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Mr. Naidu said while the lockdown disrupted daily routines, it has also provided a rare opportunity to sit back and reflect on life and connect with relatives and friends.
“Seeking to make the best use of this window provided by lockdown, I endeavored on a ‘Mission Connect’ I made hundreds of telephone calls to speak to my friends, long-time associates, acquaintances – old and new – relatives, MPs, spiritual leaders and journalists to enquire about their well-being and exchange views,” he said.
The Vice-President said the exercise was very satisfying for him. “This virtual seclusion also provided with an opportunity to speak to several veterans including L.K.Advani, M.M. Joshi, Manmohan Singh, Deve Gowda, A.K. Antony, Shanta Kumar, Ram Naik, Motilal Vora, Ahmed Patel, Keshubhai Patel,” he said.
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Mr. Naidu said he also spoke to personalities from various walks of life including M.S. Swaminathan, ‘Metro Man’ E. Sreedharan, Jupudi Hymavathiamma, Turlapati Kutumba Rao and P.V. Chalapathi Rao and others.
The Rajya Sabha Chairman said he also interacted with the Chief Ministers, Governors, leaders of various political parties in both the Houses of Parliament and all MPs of the Rajya Sabha.
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“I am happy to note that the MPs are actively engaged in the fight against coronavirus. They have initiated several welfare measures and are supporting various humanitarian initiatives being taken up by both the governments and civil society,” he said in the post.
Many parliamentarians from time-to-time have assisted relief activities during natural calamities such as floods, cyclones and droughts in their areas, Mr. Naidu said, adding that he is confident that their past experiences will come in handy in the fight against coronavirus.
Mr. Naidu said for the first time since his marriage in 1970, he is spending significant amount of time at home with his wife Ushamma.
“My wife in particular is savouring every moment of our togetherness. I never spent more than a week at home. For the first time since our marriage in 1970, I am spending significant amount of time with my wife Ushamma,” he said.
The Vice-President said he is also delighted to have spoken with people at Udayagiri in Nellore, from where he started his political journey.
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Mr. Naidu said that during the lockdown, he has been holding meetings with senior officers of the Rajya Sabha and the Vice-President’s Secretariat from time-to-time at the Upa-Rashtrapathi Niwas, while ensuring everyone followed social-distancing norms. He said he is confident that the country will overcome the present crisis.