PM Narendra Modi gets emotional as Rajya Sabha bids farewell to Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday got emotional in Parliament as he bid farewell to Congress veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and said that his legacy in national politics will be hard to replace. 

"As a leader of the opposition, it’s easy to engage in party politics, but Ghulam Nabi Azad Ji rose above this and always prioritised the prosperity of the country first,” PM Modi said. "During the pandemic, it was Azad’s proposal to call an all-party meet to fight the crisis as one nation,'' the PM added. 

PM @narendramodi gets emotional as Rajya Sabha bids farewell to @INCIndia veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad)#GhulamNabiAzad

For more details read: https://t.co/63z6u7xuan pic.twitter.com/54dsnPcjNb — Zee News English (@ZeeNewsEnglish) February 9, 2021

Hailing Azad's legacy and his contribution as Rajya Sabha MP, the PM 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." 

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

While concluding his emotional speech, PM Modi thanked him for his work for the country and wished him best wishes for his future as a “friend.” PM Modi said that his ''doors will always remain open for him'' and he will “always value” his suggestions on political matters. “Ghulam Nabi Azad has a zeal to do something for this country and that will always make him do things. He will add value to every place he goes, PM Modi added. 

Replying to the Motion of Thanks on President Ram Nath Kovind’s address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Monday said the newly-passed farm laws should be given a chance and that the MSP system is here to stay. Requesting the protesting farmers to go back, he reiterated that the government is open to talks. The Prime Minister also said that there is a need to protect the nation from a new FDI which he referred to as ‘Foreign Destructive Ideology’. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Lok Sabha on February 10, sources said.

The ongoing Budget Session of Parliament has been continuously witnessing uproar for the last four days 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 discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President`s address after seeing disruptions over four days last week over opposition`s demand for separate discussion on the new farm laws.

When the House met after an adjournment on Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the House every year expresses its thanks to the President for his address to the joint sitting of two Houses and opposition members also agree that "healthy democratic traditions" should continue.

He said India has a vibrant democracy and all members want to contribute to it.  The Opposition had disrupted the proceedings since Tuesday demanding a separate time slot for discussing the farmers’ issue.

Leaders of the Opposition parties and farm unions have been criticising the Prime Minister for his ''parasite'' (survivors on protests) remark, calling it ''an insult to the farmers.'' The opposition also countered PM Modi’s comments on “damaging” international interference. BJP members, on the other hand, asserted that PM Modi’s remarks resolved the confusion regarding the issue and laid out a clear direction for the future.