NEW DELHI: Emotions ran high as the members of the 17th Lok Sabha bid farewell on the last day of the Budget Session. Meeting for one last time in this Lok Sabha, the outgoing MPs shook hands and took photographs and selfies for memories as they bid goodbye to each other. Speaking at the farewell occasion in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the present Lok Sabha saw many game-changing reforms that will lay the foundation of a strong India.
Both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were later adjourned sine die, ending the Budget Session.
Speaking in Lok Sabha, Modi said the five years of the 17th Lok Sabha were a period of "reform, perform and transform", with the country moving towards "big changes" at a fast pace.
"It is rare that we reform, perform and also see transformation... The country has moved towards big changes at a fast pace and all members of the House have made an important contribution. We can say with satisfaction that the tasks for which many generations had been waiting for centuries were accomplished in the 17th Lok Sabha,” the PM said as he thanked MPs and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla.
In his Lok Sabha address, the Prime Minister mentioned laws like the abolition of triple talaq, the abrogation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, the women reservation law and the new Indian Penal Code.
The Prime Minister said the 17th Lok Sabha saw 97 per cent productivity. "We are moving towards the end of the 17th Lok Sabha and we resolve that productivity should go beyond 100 per cent in the 18th Lok Sabha," Modi said.
Modi said as their term comes to an end, there is also an apprehension in the minds of members about the outcome of the general elections.
“For generations, people had dreamt of one Constitution, but this House made that possible by removing Article 370,” he said, taking a dig at the Opposition, saying their attacks make him only stronger.
The Prime Minister said the 17th Lok Sabha gave exceptional national service despite several challenges, particularly Covid-19, when “no one knew who will survive and how many of their near and dear ones will live to see another day.”
Referring to the resolution passed on Saturday about the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple, the Prime Minister said that it will give constitutional powers to the future generations of the country to take pride in its heritage. He said that the resolution comprises "samvedna, sankalp and sahanubhuti" along with the mantra of "Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas".
Modi also appreciated Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s role in the functioning of the House. "You always had a smile on your face, no matter what happened. You led this House in an impartial manner and I laud you for it. There were times of anger and accusations, but you handled these situations with patience and ran the House wisely," Modi said.
He added that there used to be talk of the need for having a new building in earlier times, but the decision of the Speaker made this a reality during the 17th Lok Sabha.
Mr Modi said the ceremonial installation of the "sengol" in the House was also made under Birla's leadership.
The Prime Minister also thanked the Speaker for initiating the proceedings in the New Parliament building with the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
On his part, Birla appreciated the support from the lawmakers and expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for accepting the demand of the MPs for a new Parliament building.
Earlier, NCP MP Supriya Sule expressed thanks to the Union ministries and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha for their cooperation during the last five years.
“Members of this Lok Sabha worked in the old and new parliament buildings. The memories of both buildings are going to be with them and we are determined to continue cooperation for the development of the country. We may have disagreements in views, but we hope we will not have sourness in relationships among us,” said Ms Sule.
Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary too lauded the role of Mr Birla but went on to say that he is still struggling to adjust to the settings and galleries of the new Parliament. He added that the Opposition played its role with responsibility.
The Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel, BSP's Ritesh Pandey, LJSP's Prince Raj, Shiv Sena's Rahul Ramesh Shewale, BJD's Anubhav Mohanty and JD(U)'s Sunil Kumar Pintoo were among the other MPs who spoke on the occasion.
