As the winter session of Parliament commenced on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said all political parties who have to face the electorate in May next year will utilize the session for public interest and not political benefit. Both the houses were adjourned after paying homage to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and some other sitting MPs. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu became emotional while reading the obituary reference of Union Minister Ananth Kumar and described him as a “dear friend.”
At the beginning of the session, Naidu as per tradition read out the obituary references of leaders who had passed away during the intervening period between the Monsoon and current session.
He first read out the obituary of Vajpayee followed by that of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, and a dozen other leaders.
While reading out the obituary of Kumar, who had passed away on November 12, Naidu got emotional and his voice choked. Recalling the contribution of Kumar, the Chairman said he had lost a “dear and personal friend” in the untimely death of the Parliamentary Affairs Minister. Naidu apologised later apparently for getting emotional in the House.
Meanwhile, Modi, in his brief address to the media outside Parliament House on the first day of the session, said the government has always strived to discuss all issues. “There should be an open discussion. There should be a debate, there should be a sharp debate. But at least there should be one,” he said.
Referring to the Lok Sabha elections due next year, the Prime Minister said he is confident that all political parties “who have to face the electoral test in May (next year), while keeping in mind the people, will utilise the session for public interest and not political interest.”
He hoped that the session would be constructive and members would participate in debates on key issues concerning the public. He hoped that members would sit for longer duration to resolve key issues concerning the common man.
The Prime Minister said this session is important and everyone should participate in discussion. The winter session will end on January 8.
Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan paid tributes to Vajpayee, Chatterjee, Ananth Kumar and three sitting members. While reading out the obituary reference for Vajpayee, who passed away on August 16 after a prolonged illness, Mahajan said he was one of the most outstanding members of Parliament and enjoyed respect across the political spectrum.
Modi and most of the Union Ministers were present in the Lok Sabha during the obituary references.
Before the lower house assembled, the Prime Minister walked up to the Opposition benches and was seen having a brief interaction with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav, and others. Congress President Rahul Gandhi was also present in the House during obituary references. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and BJP President Amit Shah were present in the Rajya Sabha. In the Lok Sabha, tributes were also paid to three sitting members including Bhola Singh, MI Shanavas and Mohammad Asrarul Haque.
The Upper House also remembered its former members who passed away recently. They included RK Dorendra Singh, Karma Todpen, Kuldip Nayyar, Nandamuri Harikrishna, Darshan Singh Yadav, Ratnakar Pandey, Satya Prakash Malaviya, Ram Dev Bhandary, Malti Sharma, ND Tiwari, PK Maheshwari and Baishnab Parida. The Rajya Sabha also remembered those who lost their lives in the Cyclone Gaja in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.