Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that “in politics, there is no such thing as a full stop”, as the Rajya Sabha bid farewell to 59 Members retiring between April and July, including Deputy Chairman Harivansh, former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, and Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.
Lauding their contributions, Mr. Modi urged the Members to remain active in public life. He singled out Mr. Deve Gowda, Mr. Kharge, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar and Mr. Harivansh for their commitment to parliamentary work, calling their long tenures “a matter of immense significance”. On Mr. Harivansh, the Prime Minister said he was “gentle and soft-spoken” yet a man of “rigorous action”, who travelled widely to engage with the youth and foster national consciousness.
Parliament Budget Session LIVE: PM Modi, LoP Kharge bid farewell to retiring Rajya Sabha MPs on completion of their terms
While Mr. Pawar has been renominated and Mr. Kharge expects another term, Mr. Harivansh will not return immediately, with the JD(U) nominating Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Minister Ramnath Thakur instead.
Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, also retiring, reiterated his opposition to disruptions in Parliament and flagged increasing communal tensions. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, who has not been renominated, described the moment as a “pause” and said she hoped the early implementation of the Women Reservation Act would bring her back to the House in future.
