The farewell in the upper house of Parliament was attended by several top leaders. (file)
Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien during his farewell speech for outgoing Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu in the Rajya Sabha took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying Mr Naidu, who was also the chairman of the upper house, would have tried hard to get the Prime Minister to perhaps answer one question in his full tenure "but that did not happen".
He also pointed out that on September 20, 2020, the day the upper house passed the now repealed Farm Bills, he was not on the Chair. "Maybe, someday you will answer that in your autobiography," Mr O'Brien quipped.
The Trinamool MP then reminded Mr Naidu of his "passionate speech" on fuel prices while the BJP was in the opposition.
"On 2nd September 2013, you made a passionate speech on petrol and diesel in the House. One day perhaps you will tell us in your autobiography why then...Let us not go there," he said.
Continuing his attack, Mr O'Brien jibed that Mr Naidu had in 2013 also made an intervention regarding phone-tapping but there was no discussion on Pegasus in the upper house during his tenure as chairman.
"On 1st March 2013, you had made an intervention on phone tapping for 5-6 minutes in the House. We tried Pegasus last few years but we did not get a discussion, Sir," he said.
Mr Naidu demits office on Wednesday and his successor Jagdeep Dhankhar will take the oath of office on August 11.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier commended the Vice President's "diligent" work ethic. "He never considered work a burden," PM Modi said today in the Rajya Sabha.
The farewell in the upper house of Parliament was attended by several top leaders.
There will be another farewell function for Mr Naidu at the GMC Balayogi Auditorium on Monday evening on behalf of all members of the House.