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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended 75th birthday wishes to former Vice President Venkaiah Naidu through his official X account.
“Wishing Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu Garu a happy 75th birthday. Wishing him long and good health. On this special day, I penned down some thoughts on his life, services and commitment to nation building,” he posted.
Attached to this post was the Prime Minister’s detailed statement of his views on Naidu. The article reads as follows:
Today, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu Garu, former Vice President of India and a respected statesman, celebrates his 75th birthday. I wish him long life and good health and extend my greetings to all well-wishers and supporters. This is an opportunity to celebrate a leader whose life journey demonstrated dedication, adaptability and unwavering commitment to public service. From his early days in the political arena to his tenure as Vice President, Venkaiah Garu’s career reflected his unique ability to navigate the complexities of Indian politics with ease and humility. His eloquence, wisdom and unwavering focus on development issues earned him respect across party lines.
Venkaiah Garu and I have been associated for decades. We have worked together and I have learned a lot from him. If there is one thing in common in his life, it is the love for people. His encounter with activism and politics began with his involvement in student politics as a student leader in Andhra Pradesh. Considering his talent, oratory and organizational skills, he should have been welcomed by any political party, but he preferred to work with the Alliance because he was inspired by the vision of nation first. He was associated with RSS, ABVP and later strengthened the forces of the Janata Dal and the BJP.
About 50 years ago, when Emergency was imposed in India, young Venkaiah Garu threw himself into the anti-Emergency movement. He was imprisoned, and for inviting Loknayak JP to Andhra Pradesh. This commitment to democracy was evident throughout his political career. In the mid-1980s, when the great NTR government was unceremoniously dismissed by the Congress party, he was again at the forefront of the movement to protect democratic principles.
Venkaiah Garu has always been able to swim against the current, even in the roughest of currents. In 1978, Andhra Pradesh voted for the Congress, but he bucked the trend and was elected as a young MP. Five years later, when the Uttarakhand tsunami hit the state, he was elected as a BJP MP, paving the way for the BJP’s growth across the state.
Anyone who has heard Venkaiah Garu speak will rave about his oratory prowess. He is certainly a wordsmith, but he is also a workman. Ever since his days as a young MP, he started being respected for his no-nonsense approach to legislative matters and for being a voice for the people of his constituency. Stalwarts like NTR also noticed his talent and even wanted him to join his party, but Venkaiah Garu refused to stray from his core ideology. He went on to play a major role in strengthening the Andhra Pradesh BJP, going from village to village and connecting with people from all walks of life. He led the party in Parliament and even became the Andhra Pradesh BJP president.
In the 1990s, Venkaiah Garu’s efforts were noticed by the BJP central leadership and in 1993, he was appointed as the All-India General Secretary of the BJP and began his career in national politics. For a man who had been promoting the visits of Atal ji and Advani ji as a teenager, it was indeed an amazing moment to work directly with them. As General Secretary, he focused on how to bring our party to power and ensure that India got its first BJP Prime Minister. After moving to Delhi, he did not hesitate to move forward and rose to become the National President of the party.
In 2000, when Atal Ji was keen to appoint Venkaiah Garu as a minister in the government, Venkaiah Garu immediately expressed his preference for the Ministry of Rural Development. This confused everyone, including Atal Ji. After all, when a leader is asked which portfolio he would like to hold, his first choice is the Ministry of Rural Development. But Venkaiah Garu was clear – he was a farmer and had spent his early years in the countryside, so if there was one area he wished to work in, it was rural development. As a minister, he was closely associated with the conception and implementation of the ‘Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana’. Years later, when the NDA government came to power in 2014, he was in charge of the important portfolios of urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation. It was during his tenure that we launched the important Clean India Movement and important urban development-related schemes. Perhaps, he is one of the only leaders who has worked on both rural and urban development for such a long period.
When I came to Delhi in 2014, I was a foreigner to the national capital, having previously worked in Gujarat for fifteen years. Venkaiah Garu’s insights were very useful at such times. He was an effective parliamentary affairs minister – he understood the essence of bipartisanship, but at the same time, he drew the line at parliamentary norms and rules.
In 2017, our alliance nominated him as the Vice Presidential candidate. We faced a dilemma – we felt that Venkaiah Garu’s position was impossible to replace, but at the same time, we knew that there was no better candidate for Vice President than him. I will never forget a speech he made when he resigned as a minister and MP. He couldn’t hold back his tears as he recalled his association with the party and his efforts to build it. This showed us his deep-rooted commitment and passion. After becoming the Vice President, he took various steps to enhance the dignity of the office. He was an outstanding chairman of the Rajya Sabha, ensuring that young MPs, women MPs and first-time MPs were given a chance to speak. He attached great importance to attendance, made committees more efficient, and also improved the level of debate in the parliament.
When the decision to abrogate Article 370 and 35(A) was placed in the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Garu was the Chairman. I am sure it was a very exciting moment for him – this young man who was attracted by Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee’s dream of a united India was the Chairman when this dream was finally realized.
Apart from work and politics, Venkaiah Garu is an avid reader and writer. To the people of Delhi, he is known as the man who brought the glorious Telugu culture to the city. His Ugadi and Sankranti shows are apparently one of the most popular parties in the city. I always knew Venkaiah Garu as a man who loves good food and entertaining. But lately, his self-control has also been seen. His dedication to fitness is reflected in the fact that he still plays badminton and enjoys brisk walks.
Even after assuming the office of Vice President, Venkataja Garu remained actively involved in public affairs. He often called to inquire about issues of concern to him or various developments happening across the country. The last time I met him was when our government was getting re-elected for the third time. He was very happy and expressed his best wishes to me and our team. I once again wish him well in achieving this milestone. I hope young Kariyakathas, elected representatives and all those who are passionate about serving will learn from his life and imbibe the values. It is people like him who make our country better and more vibrant.
(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from United News Agency – indian news agency）
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