NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke down and struggled to speak in Parliament today during farewell to Rajya Sabha leader of opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad.

He heaped praise on the Congress veteran who sat across him in the Rajya Sabha, and was in tears while sharing an episode when they were both Chief Ministers - of Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir.

"I have known Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad for years. We were Chief Ministers together. We had interacted even before I became Chief Minister, when Azad Sahab was very much in active politics. He has a passion not many know about - gardening," PM Modi said.

He referred to a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in which he said eight people had been killed. Azad was the first to call him to inform him about the incident. The Prime Minister said Azad's tears would not stop.

"I will never forget Shri Azad's efforts and Pranab Mukherjee's efforts when people from Gujarat were stuck in Kashmir due to a terror attack. That night...Ghulam Nabi Ji called me...," he recalled, fighting tears, and paused for water.

"He sounded concerned like people are concerned about their own family members. That is the kind of feeling he showed." As the Prime Minister stopped to gather himself, there was loud desk-thumping.