New Delhi:
Furious clashes gave way to fond farewells as elected parliamentarians assembled today in the Lok Sabha for the last time before the national election, due by May.
The day began with Union minister Jairam Ramesh walking up to BJP's Venkaiah Naidu with a handwritten thank you note for helping to pass the controversial bill creating Telangana as India's 29th state in the Rajya Sabha.
"Many thanks. Pleasure working with you. Trust can be built even between political opponents," said the note.
After days of relentless disruptions and adjournments, the Lok Sabha was at its most peaceful when members assembled for farewell speeches.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had been pilloried by the opposition as weak, said, "On crucial issues, the house rose above differences. The Telangana birth proved we could take difficult decisions."
Protests over Telangana in the past few days saw an MP using pepper spray in the Lok Sabha, sending parliamentarians rushing out coughing, their eyes streaming. Mics were yanked, papers torn and a computer flung.
With disruptions dogging every session, the current Lok Sabha has been described as the worst performing ever.
"Sit as long as you can in Parliament. Who knows how many will return to the next Lok Sabha," was Leader of the House and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's parting shot.
Mr Shinde used the chance to compliment Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, who accepted it with a smile.
"Sushmaji sometimes gets so angry that I get worried that she will stop talking to me. But the moment she leaves the house, the sweetness in her words can't be matched even by mithais. I thank her for her support on Telangana."
Ms Swaraj lived up to the praise. "My brother Kamal Nath sometimes stirred trouble with his mischief, Mr Shinde used to resolve it with his decency. Between this mischief and decency, was Sonia Gandhi's intervention, the mild-mannered Prime Minister, the Speaker's patience and LK Advani's sense of justice, these are what kept the house ticking," she said.