With changes in parliamentary norms concerning the oath-taking of newly elected members of both houses of Parliament – Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha – political leaders will now have to stick to the prescribed form as they have been barred from adding any remarks during their oath.
According to reports, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has amended the oath-taking rules for MPs, prohibiting them from adding any remarks during their oath as members of the House.
It has been done in response to several members resorting to slogans while taking oaths for the 18th Lok Sabha on June 24 and 25.
The reports said a new clause has been added to manage specific matters related to the House’s functioning that are not explicitly covered by existing rules.
According to the amendment, the new clause 3 states that a member shall take and subscribe to the oath or affirmation without using any words or expressions as prefixes or suffixes to the prescribed form.
Many MPs raised slogans such as ‘Jai Samvidhan’ and ‘Jai Hindu Rashtra’ during their oaths last week.
One of them also raised the slogan ‘jai Palestine’ which was met with objections from several members.
The instructions of the then protem Speaker Bhartruhari Mahtab urging members of Parliament to adhere to the prescribed format, were ignored completely.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed his displeasure, claiming that several members used the solemn occasion to send political messages.
The slogans sparked a war of words between the treasury and opposition benches.
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All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi sparked controversy on June 25 by concluding his oath-taking in the 18th Lok Sabha with the slogan ‘Jai Palestine’.
The MP from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency, took his oath in Urdu and ended it with the slogans ‘Jai Bheem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine’.
