Let Rahul try to understand life of people: Venkaiah

Says Rahul should improve his attendance in Parliament

In a dig at Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi over his visits to various parts of the country, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said he should try to understand the life of the people and also improve his attendance in Parliament.

"For a change he is going around the country. Going to farmers one day, going to visit Ambedkar birth place one day. Best of luck to him. Let him go around. Let him try to understand the life of the people of the country," he told reporters here.

On Rahul's attendance in Parliament, Naidu said: "Let him take part in discussions. He was not there in Parliament at all when serious issues were discussed, when farmers issues were discussed, he was not there. If you look at 10 year career in Parliament, 50 per cent of the time he was not there. He should improve the attendance."

On the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras de-recognising Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC), the Minister said the Centre did not have any role in the issue.

"Government of India has nothing to do with this," he said.

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

The institute, however, has maintained that the action was taken as the group had violated guidelines governing such bodies.

When asked about China virtually rejecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's proposal to clarify positions on the Line of Actual Control, Naidu said the border issue should be settled in the larger interest of both the nations.

"We have to persuade them. 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...," he said.