Parliament Special Session: PM Modi recalls Nehru, Vajpayee, Indira in his speech

In discussing India’s 75-year parliamentary journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic remarks.

The echo of Nehru’s ‘tryst with destiny’ speech to mark India’s liberation from colonial rule, according to Modi, will continue to inspire us.

“The echo of Pandit (Jawahlal) Nehru’s ‘at the stroke of midnight’ in this Parliament will continue to inspire us.

“And this is that very Parliament where Atal Ji said ‘sarkaren aayengi, jayengi; partiyan banegi, bigedgi; magar ye desh rahna chahiye’ (governments will come and go; parties will form and dissolvel; but the country should remain),” Prime Minister Modi said in Lok Sabha.

PM Modi’s speech also had a somber moment when he recalled three former prime ministers who died while in office.

“When this Parliament lost three serving PMs — Nehru ji, Shastri ji and Indira ji — they were given fitting tribute,” PM Modi said.

“From Nehru to Shastri to Vajpayee, this Parliament has seen several leaders presenting their vision of India. This session is short but based on the timing, it is very big,” PM told the media, without elaborating.

The Parliament is debating its 75-year journey, including accomplishments, experiences, memories, and lessons learned.

Prime Minister Modi had earlier stated that the Parliament session would witness “historic decisions.”

“This session of the Parliament is short but going by the time, it is huge. This is a session of historic decisions. A speciality of this session is that the journey of 75 years is starting from a new destination,” the prime minister said.

“Now, while taking forward the journey from a new place…we have to make the country a developed country by 2047. For this, all the decisions of the time to come will be taken in the new Parliament building,” he added.