india

Updated: Sep 04, 2019 06:40 IST

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi said on Tuesday that the practice of politicians cutting across party lines and discussing national and international issues without rancour needs to be revived, as he and other political leaders paid tribute to late Congress parliamentarian S Jaipal Reddy.

Joshi made the remarks at a memorial service for Reddy who passed away in July.

“Earlier, there were multiple forums which had people from different parties where they tried and formed opinions on national and international issues. Those attempts have become scarce, in fact, are almost finished. It is important to revive such practices,” he said.

“Holding discussions and consultations, cutting across party lines, keeping aside the relationship with the party, on problems facing the country would be the real tribute to Reddy,” Joshi said.

Former Union minister Reddy died in Hyderabad in the early hours of July 28.

The service was attended by vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Communist Party of India general secretary D Raja, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and Congress’s Abhishek Manu Singhv, apart from others.