Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday remembered India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and said that his “tryst with destiny” speech will always inspire us. Speaking in Lok Sabha on the first day of the special session of Parliament, PM Modi remembered the rich history of Parliament’s old building and said that moving to the new building would be an emotional moment for him.

“Bidding goodbye to this building is an emotional moment…Many bitter-sweet memories have been associated with it,” PM Modi said in Lok Sabha.

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The prime minister said that the old Parliament building is full of fond memories and history and remembered Nehru and former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee’s iconic speeches.

“The echoes of Pandit Nehru’s “at the stroke of the midnight” will keep inspiring us. It is this house where Atal ji said “governments will come and go, parties will be formed and dissolved but the country should remain”. This echoes even to this day…,” PM Modi said.

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On the eve of India’s Independence Day in 1947, Nehru gave his iconic “tryst with destiny” speech in the Parliament House. “At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom,” Nehru had said.

The parliamentary proceedings will be transferred to the new building adjacent to the existing one during the five-day Special Session of Parliament, which began today. A discussion on ‘Parliamentary journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha – achievements, experiences, memories and learnings’ will be held on the first day of the special session.

Ahead of the start of the proceedings, PM Modi said that it would be a “session of historic decisions”. The government has listed eight bills to be taken up during the ongoing session.

The announcement of the special session of Parliament merely 38 days after the Monsoon Session came as a surprise to not just Opposition parties but some ruling alliance members as well. Moreover, the government didn’t reveal the agenda of the session at the time of announcement, leading to speculations.

After the all party meeting on Sunday, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi said that the special session will provide 5 sittings during which eight legislative items are likely to be taken up. However, there are speculations that the government may introduce a surprise bill.