PM takes decisions in democratic manner: Venkaiah Naidu

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives ample opportunity to his cabinet colleagues and takes all decisions in a democratic manner, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said here Thursday.

"It is an unfair criticism. To say that authority and power has been centralised is absurd. The prime minister gives opportunity to all ministers during the cabinet meeting and he speaks to everyone. He behaves in an exemplary and democratic manner by taking along all his colleagues," Naidu said during a media interaction at the Press Club of India.

Naidu also rejected opposition criticism that they were not given enough time to speak in parliament.

Listing 100 decisions that the new National Democratic Alliance government has taken in the past 100 days, Naidu said the biggest achievement was the comeback of governance, leader and development agenda.

"Finally, the people of India got a government that walks the talk," he said.

The minister released a booklet on the functioning of parliament during the budget session.

He shared the credit for smooth running of both houses of parliament with the opposition, saying it was a good beginning after years of disruption.

On the Congress party's criticism over former chief justice of India P. Sathasivam being appointed Kerala governor, Naidu reminded the party that it had set a trend of sorts when it made a former chief election commissioner a Rajya Sabha member.

"Some people suffer from selective amnesia. There should not be any objections from any political party over this issue. I can understand if the general public or experts take objection to such an appointment," he said.

On whether seniors like L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were being sidelined within the Bharatiya Janata Party, Naidu said there was no age limit in politics and that the BJP was seeing a generational shift as it always batted for more opportunities for youngsters within the party.