The Rajya Sabha on Thursday bid farewell to three retired members in absentia including the CPI(M)’s P. Rajeeve with several members hoping that he would be brought back to the House.
Clearly Mr. Rajeeve, who is well-versed with the House procedures and rules, was the star of the event as several leaders cutting across party lines recalled his sterling qualities. Mr. Rajeeve watched from the visitor’s gallery as the House made the rare gesture of bidding farewell to retired members.
The six-year term of Mr. Rajeeve, M.P. Achuthan (CPI) and Vayalar Ravi (Congress) came to an end on April 21, but since the House was prorogued and met only on Thursday, the members retired without a formal farewell. The issue was raised by Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agarwal after which Chairman Hamid Ansari allowed farewell speeches.
Mr. Ansari said while Mr. Ravi had been re-elected, “the House will, however, miss P. Rajeeve and M.P. Achuthan, who had contributed significantly to the deliberations through their active participation.”
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said while all the three retiring members were dedicated and had near attendance, Mr. Rajeeve was “industrious in digging out procedure and rules of debates in the House and kept the ruling benches on their toes.” He urged CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury to bring him back to the House.
‘An encyclopaediaof rules’ Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad described Mr. Rajeeve as “an encyclopaedia of rules” while BSP leader Mayawati said he was well-up with the rules so much so that “at times would put the Chair in a difficult situation.”
While Ram Gopal Yadav (SP) said Mr. Rajeeve was well versed with rules and procedures and enriched the House proceedings, D. Raja (CPI) said his performance inside and outside the House was commendable.
Hailing Mr. Rajeeve as an “articulate politician,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu commented in a lighter vein that such a person was with a Communist Party and opposed to the NDA. To this, Mr. Yechury quipped that “since he is intelligent and articulate” he is with the CPI (M).
Mr. Yechury said Mr. Rajeeve had been given greater responsibilities in poll-bound Kerala. He, however, said Mr. Rajeeve’s re-nomination would be considered seriously.
Mr. Rajeeve, however, told some journalists that he was satisfied with his six-year term. Had the person before him not been replaced, he would not have come into Parliament, he pointed out.
