In a rare gesture, Rajya Sabha today bade farewell to three of its retired members including CPI(M)'s P Rajeeve in absentia, with leaders cutting across party lines wanting his party or the government to get him back to the House.
The six-year term of Rajeeve, M P Achuthan (CPI) and Vayalar Ravi (Cong) came to an end on April 21 but as the Rajya Sabha was prorogued and did not meet on its earlier scheduled date of April 20, they exited the Upper House without a formal farewell, which has been a tradition. Today was the first day of the new session of Rajya Sabha.
Naresh Agarwal (SP) raised the issue of retiring members not getting a farewell from the House, prompting Chairman Hamid Ansari to allow leaders to make farewell speeches.
Ansari said while Ravi has been re-elected, "the House will, however, miss P Rajeeve and M P Achuthan, who had contributed significantly to the deliberations of his House through their active participation on many ocassions. They have definitely enhanced the dignity and prestige of this august House."
Leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said while all the three retiring members were dedicated and had near attendance, Rajeeve was "industrious in digging out procedure and rules of debates in the House and kept the ruling benches on their toes."
"He studied the rules so well and researched well," he said and asked Sitaram Yechury, the new CPI(M) General Secretary, to consider getting Rajeeve elected again to the Upper House.
Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said Rajeeve was an "encyclopedia of rules" and, in a jocular vein, said he wanted his iPad so that he could benefit from all his research on rules and procedures. He too wanted Yechury to get Rajeeve back in the House.
Seconding Azad on getting Rajeeve back, Mayawati (BSP) said the CPI(M) leader used to put forth his views with all preparation.
