New Delhi: The main highlight of the ongoing parliament session today was the camaraderie shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Congress Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad, whose term in the upper house ended today. Union Minister Amit Shah gave a curt reply to Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who had accused him of sitting in Bengali cultural icon Rabindranath Tagore's seat in Shantiniketan last week. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav launched a sharp attack at PM Modi's "andolan jeevi" (professional protesters) remark.
Here are the top remarks made in parliament today:
- I have known Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad for years. We were Chief Ministers together. We had interacted even before I became Chief Minister, when Azad Sahab was very much in active politics. He has a passion not many know about - gardening: PM Modi
- Your term here may be coming to an end, but you will always be a part of the House, your thoughts, your contributions, your views will always be here, guiding us all: PM Modi
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee made it easy to run the House. He showed the way how a House can be run by taking views of both government and opposition: Ghulam Nabi Azad
- If we only keep fighting among ourselves in Parliament, and bills don't get passed, then progress will not happen, and the people will lose faith in all of us. I keep explaining this to all my colleagues too: Ghulam Nabi Azad
- If people who protest are called 'andolan jeevi'... Can those who collect donations be called 'Chanda Jeevi' sangathan... ?: Akhilesh Yadav
- Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said during his speech yesterday that I sat on Rabindranath Tagore's seat during my visit to Santiniketan. I have a letter from the Vice Chancellor of Visva Bharti where he clarified that no such incident happened, I sat near a window where anyone can sit: Amit Shah
- If the government says that laws are for farmers, why is it not taking it back, if farmers aren't accepting it? People, for whom it has been formed, don't want it. Who is stopping the government? Are allegations that you rolled out carpet for corporates and brought these laws not right?:Akhilesh Yadav
- I feel really bad when we see that we're pointing fingers at Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and other leaders. Tomorrow you may not be in power, will we talk about this PM then? This isn't Indian tradition. Respect the one who has gone: Farooq Abdullah
- It is the responsibility of all parliamentarians to talk on the Jammu and Kashmir issue. You have to raise our voice and discuss how the problems in the UT must be solved: People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Nazir Ahmed Laway