New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met more than 30 new Rajya Sabha MPs from the ruling National Democratic Alliance over breakfast on Wednesday as Parliament
remained deadlocked for the third consecutive week.
The meeting lasted more than an hour. According to sources, the Prime Minister offered advice on personal conduct, parliamentary responsibilities and ways to deal with Opposition members.
BJP president Nitin Nabin was among the MPs who entered the Upper House for the first time during the current session after the Rajya Sabha elections in June.
Advice on public conduct
Sources said Modi asked the MPs to ensure that no one misused their official letterheads. He also advised them to speak politely to people over the phone and avoid rude behaviour.
The Prime Minister urged the new members to learn from every parliamentarian, including MPs from Opposition parties. He also asked them to spend as much time as possible in the House and aim for 100 per cent attendance.
PM shares daily routine
During the interaction, the MPs asked Modi several questions about his personal routine. The Prime Minister told them that he falls asleep within eight seconds of going to bed and sleeps for only three hours.
He also spoke about the need to focus fully on the task at hand.
“Right now I am with you, so I am not thinking about anything else. I think about and live in the moment I am in,” the PM said in response to a question from Ashok Mittal, who recently left AAP to join the BJP, sources said.
How PM Modi handles jet lag
When an MP asked how he dealt with jet lag during foreign visits, Modi said he changed his watch to the destination country’s time as soon as he boarded the aircraft.
“This way I don’t face any problem,” he said.
The NDA’s strength in the Rajya Sabha has increased after several MPs left parties such as AAP, TMC and BJD. AAP MP Raghav Chadha led the departure of seven MPs from Arvind Kejriwal’s party to the BJP.
Three MPs nominated by the Trinamool Congress also resigned from their seats and joined the BJP. Sushmita Dev, Sukhendu Shekhar Roy and Prakash Chik Baraik have since returned to the Upper House as BJP members.
