Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a meeting of the BJP parliamentary party
At a meeting of the BJP's parliamentary party today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly handed out some advice to party MPs, including asking them to stop touching his or other senior party leaders' feet while greeting them. (Also Read:
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Mr Modi, who is also the leader of the party in the Lok Sabha, has reportedly stressed that the BJP's members of Parliament must always be well prepared before speaking in the House and must have the "right perspective" on issues so as not to strike a discordant note or one that is not in line with the party's views. (
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He has reportedly also emphasised that the MPs must "work hard and study hard." Senior leaders said the suggestion that they stop touching the feet of other leaders is a bid by the Prime Minister to end what is seen as a culture of sycophancy and currying favour. (
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The meeting was held in the Central Hall of Parliament since the committee room where the BJP held meetings till the last time is not big enough to accommodate the current strength of the party, which now has 282 seats in the Lok Sabha. It had only 116 in the previous Lok Sabha. (
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Sources said Mr Modi, party patriarch LK Advani, BJP president Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley sat on the dais facing the other MPs, among whom seniors like Sushma Swaraj, Nitin Gadkari and Murli Manhoar Joshi sat in the front row. (
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