Prime Minister Narendra Modi exhorted BJP MPs to be more regular in Parliament, to “bring a change within themselves” warning that if that was not done then “change is something that happens anyway.”
He was addressing a parliamentary party meeting of the BJP at Ambedkar International Centre, a first for the party’s parliamentary group, as the customary place of holding the meeting, the Balayogi Auditorium in Parliament House complex, was unavailable due to construction issues.
“Try and bring a change in yourselves, otherwise, as you know, change is something that happens anyway,” said Mr. Modi, not for the first time urging BJP MPs to be regular in attendance and participation in debates in Parliament. His admonishment is not new, and during the recently concluded national executive of the BJP held in New Delhi he had urged party members to act like a “bridge” to the people, a pointer on the need for partymen to be seen going among the people and being engaged with public works.
Briefing the press after the meeting ended, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi said that the Prime Minister expressed his intention of calling district and mandal presidents of the party for a meeting on December 14 in Varanasi, his own Lok Sabha constituency.
Mr. Joshi also said that BJP MPs were also told the sequence of events by the Government’s floor managers, that led to the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs for the whole of the winter session. “We explained why they [12 Rajya Sabha MPs] had to be suspended. The country has witnessed whatever took place. It is on record. If they apologise even today, we are ready to withdraw the suspension,” he said.
BJP president J.P. Nadda said that a ‘kisan sammelan’ should be held that would showcase the work of farmers who had used innovative techniques to grow their crops.
