New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Lok Sabha. (LSTV GRAB via PTI) New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Lok Sabha. (LSTV GRAB via PTI)

Giving his valedictory speech in the Lok Sabha before the general elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday pointed out that several sessions of the 16th Lok Sabha had good productivity. He said India has long suffered due to fractured mandates but now it is taken seriously because of the majority government. PM Modi also took a veiled dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi and said, “there were no earthquakes in the last five years.” He was referring to Gandhi’s statement last year that “there would be an earthquake if he were allowed to speak.”

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die after it passed some Bills including Interim Budget and Finance Bill for 2019-20 without debate. In his customary address at the close of the Budget session, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu lamented that precious time of the House was lost in protests, stalling proceedings.

A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report with details of the Rafale deal was tabled in the Upper House, but was not taken up for discussion as the House was adjourned sine die. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, and the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, are set to lapse on June 3 when the term of the present Lok Sabha ends as they could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha which adjourned indefinitely today.

The Lok Sabha, meanwhile, passed the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill and the Jallianwala Bagh National Memorial (Amendment).