'Do not touch my feet', says Modi to 'Special 21'; sets parliamentary rules in cabinet meeting

New Delhi, Nov 11: Everything about the

meeting was unusual yesterday, unlike the small talk over tea and snacks in the previous meetings. When

met with his newly-appointed chiefs, he came straight to the point, setting guidelines for the

during their tenure in the respective sectors.

Insisting on simple living and high thinking, he asked his newly-inducted council of ministers to work with full dedication and lead a humble life. He also said that ministers do not have holidays.

Asking his ministers to avoid taking leaves, he said that due permission from the Parliamentary Afairs Ministry should be taken before applying for one.

"Mantriyon ka koi chhutti nahin hota hai," he said. He also warned the ministers against leaking the Cabinet meeting secrets to media or any outsider. Pointing at the media reach, he said,"I had asked ministers not to touch my feet. I was surprised that even those issues have came out in the media."

Further, he asked his ministers to be well-prepared for the upcoming parliament session, warning them that they would be under intense media glare. Setting up the Parliamentary code of conduct, he advised the ministers to lead a simple life and avoid ostentation, and to respect other colleagues in the government and in parliament and be polite to everyone at all times.

Motivating his ministers, Modi said,"Be prepared and perform. All eyes would be on you. Our sole focus should be on performance."

Some of the other veteran ministers who attended the meeting were Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj and Venkaiah Naidu. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said,"Prepare yourself and try to understand the requirement of your ministry. Before we meet to discuss the Budget proposal, you should prepare yourself for this."

Addressing the ministers who were not happy with their profiles and portfolios, Modi said that there was nothing like big work or small work. Try to understand the nuances of every subject related to your ministry".

The meeting was scheduled to end in half and hour, but took 2 and half hours.

OneIndia News