Don't cross 'Lakshman Rekha': PM Narendra Modi warns MPs

NEW DELHI: Concerned over controversial statements by party MPs and leaders derailing the government’s agenda in Parliament and the Opposition cornering it in both Houses, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday asked BJP lawmakers not to cross the "Lakshman Rekha" while making public utterances and practice restraint.

Modi issued the warning at the weekly BJP Parliamentary Party meeting in Parliament’s Central Hall. "The prime minister said no leader should cross the ‘Lakshman Rekha’. Controversial statements by our leaders harm the government and the party as the agenda of development and good governance gets derailed by such remarks," a BJP leader told ET on the condition that he not be named.

This is the second time that the PM has asked his party MPs to practice restraint. Earlier, in one such Parliamentary Party meeting he had asked BJP MPs not to "give an address to the nation" each time they see a mike infront of them.

The trigger for this caution was the controversial "haramzaado" remarks made by Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti at a public meeting in Delhi. Government was pushed on the backfoot in both Houses of Parliament and the Prime Minister had to express regret and ask that she be forgiven.

The Rajya Sabha proceedings had been disrupted for a whole week due to this issue and matters cooled down only after a resolution condemning such remarks by MPs was made by the Chair.