'Mission Connect' to assess corona : Venkaiah Naidu speaks to ex-Presidents, PMs, CJI, former CJs, CMs, party leaders, journalists

New Delhi: In a unique engagement during corona-induced confinement, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday reached out to almost all members of the Upper House, former Presidents of India and Prime Ministers, present and former Chief Justices of India, Governors and Chief Ministers of most of the States, leaders of various political parties and mediapersons, sources close to his office informed.

Naidu called this effort as 'Mission Connect' during the confinement enquiring about the safety of those leaders and of their kith and kin, their assessment of corona situation on ground in respective areas and the mode of their engagement and activities since the imposition of the nationwide lockdown on March 25.

Of the 245 members of the Rajya Sabha, Naidu spoke to 241 members of the Upper House, including those retired and the re-elected recently. Some of them like the leaders of various parties in the House were reached out over phone more than once.

He spoke to former Presidents Pranab Mukherji and Pratibha Patil and former Prime Ministers Dr Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda.

He also spoke to Chief Justice of India Justice S A Bobde, former Chief Justices Justice Deepak Mishra and Justice Ranjan Gogoi, who is now a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Among the Members of the Rajya Sabha spoken to include: Leader of the House TC Gehlot, Leader of the Opposition, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Ministers who are members of the Upper House, JP Nadda (BJP), Sharad Pawar (NC), Anand Sharma, Digvijay Singh, A K Anthony, TDP's Chandrababu Naidu.