Be present in Parliament, will keep tab on attendance: Modi warns MPs

New Delhi: Expressing strong displeasure over poor attendance of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday cautioned the saffron parliamentarians that he may have to keep a tab on their attendance if it is not up to the mark.

The Prime Minister also asked party MPs during the parliamentary party meeting, to be present in full attendance for the vice- presidential election on August 5.

The issue of MPs’ attendance was taken up by Modi after minister of state for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told him about how the Admiralty (Jurisdiction and Settlement of Maritime Claims) Bill, 2017, could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha last week due to lack of quorum.

Only 23 out of the 56 members of the ruling BJP were present in the House, Mr Naqvi said.

The Upper House had to be adjourned last Friday after Congress member Jairam Ramesh pointed to lack of quorum after the bill was moved by the minister.

While addressing the MPs, Modi said that President Ram Nath Kovind's swearing-in was a “significant milestone” in the journey started by BJP's ideologue Shyama Prasad Mookherjee and asked the MPs to take out “Sankalp Yatra”, along with the “Tiranga Yatra”, from August 15-30, to mark the 70th year of Independence.