Addressing the House, the retiring members from Tamil Nadu said that they would miss the Rajya Sabha and thanked their colleagues and the chairman, while other members said the House would remember them for their contributions in different ways
New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha bid farewell to five of its members from Tamil Nadu on Wednesday (July 24), who would be retiring after completion of their terms.
The five retiring members are V Maitreyan, D Raja, KR Arjunan, R Lakshmanan and T Rathinavel, all from the AIADMK, except for Raja who is a member of the CPI.
The retiring members said that they would miss the House and thanked their colleagues and the chairman, while other members said the House would remember them for their contributions in different ways. They also hoped that retiring members would return to the House again.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said that the retiring members had contributed significantly to deliberations of the House, the parliamentary committees and in the process of nurturing and understanding parliamentary democracy.
Naidu also said that the retiring members have also helped in enhancing the dignity and prestige of this august House.
"I place on record my heartfelt appreciation for the valuable contribution and services rendered by them to democracy and society at large," the chairman added.
"The House will certainly miss their various, sometimes aggressive, progressive presence and their unwavering commitment to issues pertaining to the state of Tamil Nadu and also to national issues of importance. I wish retiring members good health, happiness and many more years of service to the nation," Naidu said.
Leader of the House, Thawar Chand Gehlot, said that the five retiring members are completing their term in the House but would continue to serve the people.
"I wish them well in their life. They dedicated their lives for the service of the nation and have worked towards the nation's development," he said.
Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad recalled the contributions of each of them from the southern part of the country.
"I wish all my colleagues from the southern part of the country well," he said, hoping they return to this House again.
He lauded Maitreyan for choosing politics to serve the nation despite being a specialist in Oncology. He said he could have easily earned a lot of money but decided to help people through politics by quitting his practice.
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