Old Parliament in memoirs: 10 women MPs share memories

Published by: Vivek Dubey

Ten female parliamentarians shared handwritten notes, bidding farewell to the old Parliament building. They reminisced before moving to the new complex in the upcoming session.

Heartfelt Tributes

MPs from various parties offered tributes to the building, which has been the epicentre of India’s democratic journey.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal

“From being an awed visitor in 2006 to a first-time MP in 2009, then a first-time minister in 2014, these 144 pillars in this temple of democracy hold a multitude of memories for me,” she said.

Priyanka Chaturvedi

“Memories. Learnings. Policy Making. Friendships. History and the sheer beauty of this architectural marvel that has seen intense debates and disruptions,” she shared.

Anupriya Patel

“I could feel deep within that I was entering a historic building, which witnessed India gaining its Independence… the framing of our Constitution and the evolution and strengthening of our country’s democratic institutions,” she said.

Poonam Mahajan

The BJP MP expressed her thoughts, saying, "Antim jay ka vajra banane, Nav Dadhichi haddiyan galaayein. Aao phir se diya jalaayein.”

Mahua Moitra

The TMC MP said the building "will always have a special place in my heart, as does anyone’s first home”. "This great Hall embraced us all, both treasury and opposition.”

Smriti Irani

The Union Minister and BJP MP shared her “Best Wishes!” in her note.

Supriya Sule

“…attending sessions in the old beautiful Parliament building – echoes the voices of the leaders who contributed to the development of our beautiful country," she wrote in her note.

Ramya Haridas

The Congress MP reminisced about the building’s significance, calling it the “palace of democracy” and the “birthplace of strong decisions”.

Navneet Rana

The Independent MP from Amravati said, "The first time I entered Parliament was a great memory for me. This Parliament gave me an opportunity to learn a lot of things. It’s a real temple of democracy.”

PT Usha

The Rajya Sabha MP and sprinter recalls her first visit to Parliament House in 1986 after her gold medal win at Seoul and her special moment in the Rajya Sabha on 20th July, 2022.

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