Rajya Sabha witnessed emotional scenes on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled the contribution of Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to the country, the House and also his party.
An emotional Prime Minister Modi bid adieu to Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is retiring from the House and recalled his long association with the senior leader.
Lauding the senior Congress leader's contribution to the causes dear to him, the Prime Minister said, "The person who will replace Ghulam Nabi ji (as Leader of Opposition) will have difficulty matching his work because he was not only concerned about his party but also about the country and the House."
Almost teary-eyed, the Prime Minister recalled an incident where Mr Azad's personal intervention led to the return of survivors and corpses of Gujarat residents who had faced a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I will never forget Shri Azad's and Shri Pranab Mukherjee's efforts when people from Gujarat were stuck in Kashmir due to a terror attack. Ghulam Nabi Ji was constantly following up, he sounded as concerned as if those stuck were his own family members," the Prime Minister said, while members of the House listened intently.
This comes a day after he praised Mr Azad for his words on Jammu and Kashmir and local polls conducted recently.
Lok Sabha resumed normal functioning on Monday after a week-long disruption over the three central farm laws following an appeal by Mr Singh that it was a duty of every member to maintain the tradition of passing the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address.
The House is likely to take up a Short Duration Discussion on the farmers' issue in the second part of the Budget session beginning March 8.
Here are the Highlights on Parliament Budget Session 2021:
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP D Ravikumar has given an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha over "Sri Lankan Cabinet approval regarding Chinese energy project in three islands off Jaffna peninsula that are barely 50 km from the Tamil Nadu coast."
The ongoing Budget session of Parliament has been continuously witnessing uproar over the Opposition's demand for separate discussion on the new farm laws. Thousands of farmers have been protesting at several border points of the national capital since late November, demanding the withdrawal of the farm laws.
The Lok Sabha on Monday took up a discussion on the motion of thanks to the President''s address.
Members of Rajya Sabha pay tribute to victims of Uttarakhand glacier disaster pic.twitter.com/bpu8HofVr9
- ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2021
Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, dedicates a verse to Kashmiri Pandits while delivering his retirement speech on the Floor of the House. pic.twitter.com/EwkrsuRWKi
- NDTV (@ndtv) February 9, 2021
"I pray to god that militancy ends," says teary eyed Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha, as he recalls a terror attack during his tenure as CM of Jammu and Kashmir pic.twitter.com/ubwQMvKZlT
- NDTV (@ndtv) February 9, 2021
"Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the leader of Opposition when I was Parliamentary Affairs Minister. We had a minority government back then but I learnt from Vajpayee ji how to resolve a deadlock": Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad), Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/d1rFDqi0y9
- NDTV (@ndtv) February 9, 2021
You should return to the House. If the Congress doesn't bring you back, then, we are ready to do it. This House needs you: Union Minister and RPI leader Ramdas Athawale during farewell to retiring Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad pic.twitter.com/ITNxRuLIST
- ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2021
#WATCH: PM Modi gets emotional while reminiscing an incident involving Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, during farewell to retiring members in Rajya Sabha. pic.twitter.com/vXqzqAVXFT
- ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2021
The person who will replace Ghulam Nabi ji (as Leader of Opposition) will have difficulty matching his work because he was not only concerned about his party but also about the country and the House: PM Modi during farewell to retiring members in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/bVE3Cnddl2
- ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2021
