Rahul Gandhi must participate in House debates: M. Venkaiah Naidu

“For a change, he is going around the country. Going to farmers one day, going to visit Ambedkar’s birthplace on another day… Best of luck to him. Let him go around. Let him try to understand the life of the people of the country,” Mr Naidu remarked, and said it was improper on his part to indulge in personal criticism.

Taking a dig at the Congress vice-president, Mr Naidu said he should try to improve his attendance in Parliament. “Let him take part in (Parliamentary) discussions. He was not there in Parliament at all when serious issues were discussed. He was not there when farmers issues were discussed. If you look at his 10-year career in Parliament, 50 per cent of the time he was not there. He should improve attendance,” the minister said during an informal chat with reporters here on Sunday.

On the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras de-recognising Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC), he denied that the Centre had any role in the issue, saying, “The Government of India has nothing to do with this.”

IIT-M’s action in de-recognising APSC has come in for widespread condemnation with political parties, including the Congress, targeting Union HRD minster Smriti Irani for the action against the student body.

Asked about China turning down Mr Modi’s proposal to clarify positions on the Line of Actual Control, Mr Naidu said the border issue should be resolved through talks in the larger interest of both the nations.

India has to “persuade China,” he said and added, “We have to understand they are our neighbour. They must understand that settling the border issue is in the larger interest of both the countries.”