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PM Modi's farewell message to 72 Rajya Sabha members - 'Come again…'| Video
Seventy-two members of Rajya Sabha retire on Thursday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a warm farewell speech in Rajya Sabha for 72 members who retire on Thursday. "This is a farewell. But as they say in Bengali - 'Ami aaschi' or in Gujarati - 'Aao jo' ... 'come again'. That's what we would want to tell them (Rajya Sabha members who are retiring) - 'Come again'. When such experienced members leave, the nation... the House feel a vaccuum. Sometimes, there is more value for experience than knowledge."
"Whatever is gained with experience - that gives simple solutions for problems. Lesser mistakes happen," the prime minister said, and added that the members who stay in Rajya Sabha now would have an added responsibillity. "When other experienced members carry forward this legacy, the House feels as powerful. All of us resolve to use the lessons learnt from the Rajya Sabha members retiring today."
"We spend a long time in the four walls of the House where we see a reflection of diverse culture from across the country. We take more than we leave when we go from this house."
In his parting message, the PM said: "Even though we are leaving these four walls, let's take the experience to all four directions in the country. Another request I want to make is that whatever historic moments we've witnessed during our term, which gave a direction to the naiton, they should be recorded so that the future generations can refer to it.
PM Modi was also photographed with the retiring members.
His remarks in parliament come at a time when many opposition MPs have been raising the issue of petrol price hike. Congress's Rahul Gandhi, earlier in the day, led a protest by Congress MPs.
Trinamool Congress Derek O'Brien, before the prime minister's address, had tweeted: “Mr Prime Minister @PMOIndia. Every Thursday (and Thursdays alone) you pop into Rajya Sabha for a few fleeting minutes. What are the odds you will NOT SAY A WORD on this (sic).”
Among others who spoke in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday amid the farewell was Congress's Mallikarjun Kharge. "Rajya Sabha is a permanent house, some members will retire while some others will come, it'll go on forever. We might have difference of opinions but we have to ensure that we work efficiently. (Pandit Jawahar Lal ) Nehru ji provided Rajya Sabha with power and intergity. He made RS MPs the members of various committees. Except, in the case of money bills, both the houses are equally powerful," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
"There's a saying in politics that there are often ups and downs but one should never leave the ground. We should keep that in mind while working for the people."
(With inputs from ANI)
