New Delhi: In a veiled jibe at the opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that by calling for discipline these days, one could be branded an "autocrat", as he praised Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu for being a "disciplinarian".
After launching a book on the vice president and Rajya Sabha chairman's first year, Modi said Naidu always provides visionary leadership whenever he gets a responsibility.
"Venkaiah ji is a disciplinarian, and the country's situation is such that it has become easy to call discipline undemocratic. If one calls for some discipline, then that person is branded an autocrat. The whole dictionary is opened. But the discipline Venkaiah ji calls for, he follows it," Modi said.
Opposition parties were reportedly upset with Naidu for not allowing their parliamentarians to raise their issues of concern.
Referring to Naidu's punctuality and discipline, Modi said, "One has to be very alert while touring with Venkaiah ji. One, he never wears a watch, he does not keep a pen and does not keep money.
He reaches for programmes on time. And if the programme does not get over in time, then he becomes uneasy. Discipline is in his nature."
The launch of the book 'Moving on...Moving forward: A year in office' was attended by Modi, former prime ministers - Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Rajya Sabha's Deputy Leader of Opposition Anand Sharma, and a host of other ministers, MPs and senior officials.
He recalled that when former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was keen to offer Naidu an important portfolio, he requested to be given the Rural Development Ministry.
Modi noted that the Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), launched by Naidu, became hugely popular among MPs, given the importance of rural roads.
Mahajan said the book on Naidu's first year in office was a chronicle of how a person from humble origins could rise to an exalted position and give effective leadership.
Gowda said running the legislatures these days had become a lot more
complicated and Naidu was doing his best in running Rajya Sabha by protecting the interests of all sections of the House. Recalling his 45-year association with Naidu, Jaitley said, "The unique feature of Shri Naidu is he is 24x7, 365 (days), without even a day's rest and is intensely committed to farmers. He is more guided by the heart and so is emotional."