New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked NDA MPs to follow parliamentary rules and conduct, and learn from senior members about the best practices, comments that came a day after the ruling alliance accused Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi of making a "most irresponsible" speech.
Addressing a meeting of NDA MPs, Modi said the opposition is upset as for the first time a non-Congress leader, that too a "chai-wala", has become prime minister for a third straight term, sources said.
Highlighting his humble origins, he took an apparent jibe at the Nehru-Gandhi family saying that its members used to be prime minister and gave little recognition to those from outside their fold, the sources said.
Briefing reporters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Modi asked MPs to study parliamentary issues, attend Parliament regularly and raise the matters related to their constituency effectively.
Asked if Modi referred to Gandhi's Monday speech in Lok Sabha, Rijiju said he made no such mention but added that when the country's prime minister speaks, the message is for everyone.
Gandhi had launched a no-holds-barred attack on the BJP in the Lok Sabha on Monday, accusing the leaders of the ruling party of dividing people on communal lines, drawing massive protests from the treasury benches, with Prime Minister Modi slamming the Congress leader for calling the entire Hindu community violent.
At the alliance meeting, Modi was felicitated by NDA leaders for his "historic" third term, Rijiju added.
Sources said the prime minister asked MPs to study any issue before making comments on it before the media, and said they should stay in touch with their constituencies and thank voters for supporting them.
Modi also asked MPs to visit the Prime Ministers Museum, noting that it documents the life journey of all prime ministers, something which was not done by earlier governments.
The contribution of prime ministers who came from outside the Congress's most prominent family used to be neglected, he said, adding that he, as prime minister, ensured that all of them are recognised as each one made contribution to the country in one way or another.