The Rajya Sabha today rang with peals of laughter, a welcome departure from the loud protests and heated confrontations between the treasury and opposition benches, thanks to a light-hearted statement from outgoing member and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
Kharge, the Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House of Parliament, gave his departure speech today, emphasizing how his time in the House has enriched him.
The Congress president then mentioned former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and NCP founder Sharad Pawar, whose present tenure in the Rajya Sabha are due to expire. Pawar, on the other hand, has plans to return to the House.

According to Kharge, Deve Gowda was Prime Minister and served in a variety of other posts. "I've known him for 54 years and worked alongside him. But I'm not sure what happened. "He dated us, loved us, but married Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he remarked, eliciting laughs from the entire House. The Prime Minister, who was present in the Rajya Sabha, was also spotted chuckling.
Deve Gowda was Prime Minister for less than a year, following the 1996 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress supported the United Front government that he led. HD Deve Gowda's JDS partnered with the Congress in Karnataka for the 2018 state elections, and the coalition won.Deve Gowda's son, HD Kumaraswamy, was appointed Chief Minister, however the state government fell in 2019 after some Congress and JDS MLAs defected. JDS then united with the BJP, which explains Kharge's remark.
Kharge stated that he has a long history with Pawar and DMK's Tiruchi Siva, and he is pleased that they would be returning to the Rajya Sabha for another term.
The Congress president also targeted Union Minister and RPI (A) chairman Ramdas Athawale, saying, "He always praises Modiji in his poems." "He doesn't know any other poems," he continued, eliciting smiles from Congress members.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi congratulated retiring Rajya Sabha MPs for their services and wished them well, stating that "no full stop in politics". "The future awaits you. "Your experience and contribution will never be forgotten," he remarked. He urged newly elected MPs to learn from veterans such as Deve Gowda, Kharge, and Pawar. "HD Deve Gowda ji, Mallikarjun Kharge ji, and Sharad Pawar ji are senior leaders who have dedicated more than half of their life to legislative service. He urged newly elected MPs to learn from them.
Referring to Athawale, the Prime Minister stated, "We used to hear that there is a lot of room for humour and satire in the House. Perhaps it is progressively lessening now.

This year, thirty-seven Rajya Sabha seats became vacant. While 26 candidates ran unopposed, the remaining seats were filled following a Monday election.