Some politicians encouraging children to join politics: Venkaiah Naidu

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu had in September hit out at dynastic politics, saying "dynasty in democracy is nasty".

New Delhi: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Saturday that some politicians in the country were "encouraging" their children to follow in their footsteps regardless of their capacity or capabilities.

His remarks, laced with candid humour, comes in the wake of a raging debate on dynastic politics.

The vice president was addressing a huge gathering of farmers from Outer Delhi villages at the garden of his sprawling residence here.

"Despite the Green Revolution and other growth factors in the country, earning of the farmers has not increased. So, some farmers want to give up agriculture," he lamented.

Naidu said in this country, traders, businessmen, teachers and doctors want their sons to take up their professions. At his wittiest best, he then went on to say, "Actors also want their sons to do so, whether they have a good-looking face or not."

"Politicians want their sons to be politicians, whether they have the capacity and the mettle for it. And, still, they (parents) encourage," he said.

"But, farmers don't want their sons to follow in their footsteps. They think a small job would do for their wards instead of making them also toil in the field in sun and rain," Naidu said.

Incidentally, Naidu had in September hit out at dynastic politics, saying "dynasty in democracy is nasty", days after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi had in the US talked about the phenomenon being present in the Indian system.

Gandhi, during an interactive session at the University of California, Berkeley, said dynasties are commonplace in India, from politics to business, while stressing that a person's capabilities are more important than pedigree.

In his nearly 30-minute long speech, Naidu also praised various schemes of the Narendra Modi government -- Swachh Bharat, e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) portal, MUDRA and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.