india

Updated: Aug 04, 2019 03:58 IST

Emphasising that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ideology and thoughts, and “not the legacy of any family”, brought it to its current politically dominant position, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked his party’s lawmakers on Saturday to remain connected with the BJP and not forget their contribution in making them ministers and parliamentarians.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while addressing over 380 party MPs of both Houses of Parliament during a two-day training programme.

Modi compared the party and its workers to a mother who nurtures a son, but feels a bit neglected when he gets married and begins paying more attention to his wife, according to news agency PTI.

So once leaders become MPs, they should not forget the party and the workers, Modi was quoted as saying by lawmakers who attended the session. He added that they should remain connected with the workers who have toiled for them, and that should happen not just in election time. “We all should keep the spirit of a party worker alive in ourself,” parliamentary affairs minister Prahlad Joshi quoted Modi as saying.

“The prime minister described BJP as a family and categorically told party MPs that it is growing because of its ideology and thoughts and not because of the legacy of a family,” Joshi said.

Team BJP is an organic entity and not an assembled entity, Modi said. The PM also inaugurated the training programme, “Abhyas Varga”, at Parliament complex and recalled his experience of attending a similar event in Surajkund. Modi said it was of great help to him, Joshi added.

“Modi said whatever our age is, we should remain students and keep learning. Learning is a continuous process and it is essential,” Joshi said.

Significantly, the PM even sat in the middle-rows — behind many party MPs.

According to an official, BJP chief Amit Shah suggested that MPs do thorough preparation for every session and raise issues which are connected with the people. He also emphasised the importance of attending sessions regularly.

BJP working president JP Nadda also addressed the inaugural session. Party general secretary Bhupender Yadav addressed a session on parliamentary procedures, while BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya discussed the use of information technology. On Sunday, the second and last day of the training programme, Modi and Shah are scheduled to address the MPs. The programme is aimed at informing MPs about the party, its ideology and parliamentary procedure.

(With agency inputs)