Feels proud Indian, learned alot from Atal Bihari Vajpayee: Azad in his farewell speech at Rajya Sabha

SRINAGAR, FEBRUARY 09: It was a day of emotional speeches in Rajya Sabha as the members came together to Ghulam Nabi Azad Rajya Sabha leader who is retiring on 15 Feb in his farewell speech said that the majority community needs to move forward, and added, “I never went to Pakistan and I think I am fortunate. I am among those fortunate people who never went to Pakistan. When I read about circumstances in Pakistan, I feel proud to be a Hindustani Muslim.

In his farewell speech, Ghulam Nabi Azad also paid tributes to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and said that it was the former PM from whom he learnt to run the House.

“I learned a lot from Atal ji…how to break the deadlock and how to run the House,” Ghulam Nabi Azad said in Rajya Sabha.

Ghulam Azad retires from Rajya Sabha on February 15 after being the Leader of Opposition for over six years since June 8, 2014.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu described Azad as a voice of sanity in public life over few decades when he made valuable contributions while serving both in government and in opposition. Venkaiah Naidu said Azad’s retirement is particularly painful with the House having lost Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. (PTK)