Prime Minister Narendra Modi became emotional and broke down a couple of times in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday while bidding farewell to Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad. He along with three MPs from Jammu & Kashmir will retire in the next few days from the House.
The other retiring members are Shamsher Singh Manhas (BJP), Mir Mohammad Fayaz (PDP) and Nazir Ahmad Laway (PDP).
Recalling his long association with Azad, Modi cried while narrating an incident when they were Chief Ministers of Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat respectively.
Terrorists had killed some tourists from Gujarat while they were travelling in Srinagar and Azad started crying on the phone while informing his counterpart Modi in Gujarat, Modi recalled.
“The next day too Azad cried on the phone while talking to me after overseeing that the dead bodies and the injured were flown to Gujarat,” the Prime Minister said.
Remembering that conversation years back, Modi was overwhelmed and paused before breaking down. This happened a couple of times more when the Prime Minister was telling the House about his association with Azad.
Azad, in turn, also had tears in the eyes while recalling that incident in his farewell speech later.
The veteran Congress leader said he is a proud and lucky “Hindustani Muslim” and wished that terrorism ends from Jammu & Kashmir. Azad also gave examples of Muslim countries in India’s neighbourhood and said many of them were at war with each other.
Modi said it would be difficult for anyone to fill the shoes of Azad as he cared not only about his political affiliation but also about the country and the House.
“I worry that after Azad whosoever will take over from him will have to fill very big boots because he cared not only about his party but about the country as well as the House. This is not a small thing, this a big thing,” Modi said.
He noted that Azad had called him to ask for an all-party meeting during Covid-19 period. “I liked that and also did it. This kind of connection is there because he has the experience of both being in power and in Opposition. Twenty-eight-year experience in all, it is a big thing,” the Prime Minister said.
“Power comes and goes but (only a few know) how to digest it…therefore like a friend, I respect him on the basis of the things he has done over these years,” Modi said while wiping his tears and saluting Azad.
The Prime Minister said he believes that Azad’s concern for his country will not let him sit and whatever responsibilities he takes in the future would be beneficial for the nation.
“At a personal level, I would request him to not believe that he is not in the House. My door is always open for all of you. I will always expect and value your inputs,” he said. “I will not let you become weak,” the Prime Minister told Azad as he closed his comments.
Earlier, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu described Azad as a voice of sanity in public life over few decades when he made valuable contributions while serving both in Government and in Opposition.
Azad retires from Rajya Sabha on February 15 after being the Leader of the Opposition for over six years since June 8, 2014. Naidu said Azad’s retirement is particularly painful with the House having lost Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley.
Wednesday, 10 February 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
