The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi released three books on the life and journey of former Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu on the eve of his 75th birthday via video conferencing today.

The books released by the Prime Minister include (i)  Biography of the former Vice President titled “Venkaiah Naidu – Life in Service” authored by Shri S Nagesh Kumar, former Resident Editor of The Hindu, Hyderabad edition; (ii) “Celebrating Bharat – The Mission and Message of Shri M Venkaiah Naidu as 13th Vice–President of India”, a Photo chronicle compiled by Dr I.V. Subba Rao, Former Secretary to Vice-President of India; and (iii) Pictorial biography in Telugu titled “Mahaneta – Life and Journey of Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu” authored by Shri Sanjay Kishore.

Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister noted that Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu will be completing 75 years tomorrow on the 1st of July and said, “These 75 years have been extraordinary and it encompasses magnificent stopovers.” The Prime Minister expressed delight in releasing Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu’s biography and two other books based on his life. He expressed confidence that these books will become a source of inspiration for the people while also illuminating the correct path to serving the nation.

Reminiscing about his long association with the former Vice-President, the Prime Minister said he had the opportunity to work with Shri Venkaiah ji for a long period. This collaboration began during Venkaiah ji's tenure as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), followed by his senior role in the Cabinet, his tenure as the Vice-President of the country, and later as the Speaker of the Rajya Sabha. “One can imagine the wealth of experience a person hailing from a small village may have gathered while holding such significant posts. Even I learned a lot from Venkaiah ji”, he added.

Shri Modi expressed that the life of Venkaiah Naidu ji is a perfect glimpse of the amalgamation of ideas, vision and personality. The Prime Minister expressed happiness about the current state of BJP and Jana Sangh in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as compared to how it was decades ago without any strong foundation. He said, “Despite such lacunae, Shri Naidu strived in his role as an ABVP Karyakarta with the ideology of “Nation First” and had made up his mind to achieve something for the nation.” The Prime Minister lauded Shri Naidu for his fighting tooth and nail against the Emergency, which was imposed 50 years ago in the nation, despite being imprisoned for about 17 months. Shri Modi underlined that Shri Naidu was one such braveheart who was tried and tested during the wrath of Emergency and that is the reason he considers Naidu ji as a true friend.

Underling that power does not reflect the comforts of life but is the medium to accomplish the resolutions by service, the Prime Minister said that Shri Naidu proved himself when he got the opportunity to become a part of the Vajpayee Government where he chose to become the Union Minister for Rural Development. “Naidu ji wanted to serve the villages, the poor and the farmers”, Shri Modi added. He further added that Shri Naidu worked as a Union Minister for Urban Development in the Modi Government and lauded his commitment and vision for modern Indian cities. He mentioned Swachh Bharat Mission, Smart City Mission and Amrit Yojna initiated by Shri Venkaiah Naidu.

Praising the former Vice-President’s soft mild-mannerism, eloquence and wit, the Prime Minister recalled that no one can match Venkaiah Naidu’s level of wit, spontaneity, quick counters and one-liners. Shri Modi warmly recalled the slogan coined by Naidu during the formation of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s coalition government, “Ek haath mein BJP ka jhanda, aur dusre haath mein NDA ka agenda”, which translates to the party’s flag in one hand and the National Democratic Alliance’s agenda in the other. In 2014, he introduced the acronym ‘Making of Developed India’ for M.O.D.I. The Prime Minister said he was surprised by Venkaiah ji’s ruminations, compelling him to praise his style in the Rajya Sabha once where he said that there is depth, seriousness, vision, beat, bounce and wisdom in the former Vice-President’s words.

The Prime Minister hailed the positive environment created by Shri Naidu during his tenure as Speaker of the Rajya Sabha and highlighted the various important decisions taken by the House. Recalling the introduction of the bill to revoke Article 370 in the Rajya Sabha before being tabled in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister lauded Shri Naidu’s experienced leadership in the passage of such a sensitive bill while maintaining the decorum of the House. The Prime Minister wished for a long, active and healthy life for Shri Naidu.

Shri Modi threw light on the emotional side of Venkaiah Ji’s nature and informed that he never let adversities affect his decision-making. He also highlighted his simple way of living and his special ways of keeping in touch with people. PM Modi also recalled spending time at Venkaiah Ji’s residence during festivities. The Prime Minister touched upon the contributions made by personalities like Shri Naidu towards Indian politics. Referring to the three books released today, the Prime Minister said that they present the journey of  Venkaiah Ji’s life, which is a source of inspiration for the younger generations.         

The Prime Minister concluded his address by reminiscing & reciting a few lines of a poem which he had dedicated to Shri Naidu in the Rajya Sabha once. Shri Modi once again congratulated & wished Shri Venkaiah Naidu ji on completing 75 years of his life’s journey. Shri Modi expressed confidence that a Developed India (Viksit Bharat) would be celebrating its “century of freedom” in 2047 while Naidu Ji would be celebrating his centennial milestone.

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DS/SR//TS/RT