On last day of 17th Lok Sabha, MPs recall key moments

New Delhi: Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Saturday said browbeating those who hold an alternate view should be avoided as he noted that though disruptions result in loss of legislative business, they were part of democratic system.

He said one of the key moments of the outgoing 17th Lok Sabha was the switch from the old to the new building and “old timers” like him were trying to adjust.

In his speech on the last working day of the present Lok Sabha, Chowdhury also thanked speaker Om Birla and the secretariat for trying to bring changes to improve parliamentary practices.

While the term of the 17th Lok Sabha is till June 16, the Budget session of Parliament concluded on Saturday. In March, the Election Commission is set to announce parliamentary polls.

Supriya Sule (Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP) thanked her electorate for sending her to the House but said she cannot thank her party as it was in “dilemma”. She said the court will decide about the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in the coming days.

Sule was referring to the recent EC order recognising the faction led by her cousin Ajit Pawar as the real NCP. Sule is with the faction led by her father Sharad Pawar.

She noted that members of the 17th Lok Sabha are the only batch of the lower house who have functioned in the new as well as the old building now called Samvidhan Bhavan.

Girish Chandra of the BSP hoped that members of the present House return to Lok Sabha after winning upcoming polls.

B Mahtab of the BJD noted that out of more than 540 members, over 300 were first timers who were initially reluctant to speak but were encouraged by seniors.

M S Reddy of TSR Congress lamented that the new Parliament building lacks a central hall unlike the old building.

In her remarks, Union minister Anupriya Patel hoped that the members of the next House will ensure that every minute during any session is well utilised.