As newly elected members of Parliament took the oath of office on Tuesday, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi made headlines for saying ‘Jai Palestine’ after taking his oath, sparking outrage from the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and discomfiture within the INDIA bloc.
However, it wasn’t him alone who used this platform to chant slogans. It was a cross-party activity that covered the DMK, Congress and even the BJP MPs.
FOCUS ON OWAISI’S ‘HAIL, PALESTINE’
The focal point remained Owaisi. The AIMIM president sparked a controversy by chanting the ‘Jai Palestine’ slogan as he concluded his oath as an MP on the second day of the 18th Lok Sabha session in Parliament on Tuesday. His words triggered the BJP’s ire, with Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje registering a formal complaint against him.
“They are oppressed people,” said Owaisi, adding, “Everyone is saying a lot of things. I just said ‘Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine’. How is it against the Constitution? Show me where this provision is there in the Constitution.”
“You should also listen to what others say. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine,” reasoned the MP when asked about the row he kicked.
Not just Palestine, he took his oath in Urdu and also recited a prayer before it. Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, without naming Palestine, said, “India doesn’t have enmity with any country. But MPs should restrain from hailing other countries in such a manner.”
BJP leader Amit Malviya took to X and cited disqualification rules suggesting a case of disqualification can be made against Owaisi as it can be construed as allegiance to a foreign nation.
The whole matter created a temporary ruckus. The disturbance continued for a few minutes, after which the oath-taking resumed. The ongoing war in Gaza, which Palestine calls a part of itself, has globally created sharp divides.
DMK, CONG, BJP MPS PITCHED IN
While Owaisi’s short statement dragged on with administrative problems being created, others too had their share of slogans, comments and interjections.
A number of new Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MPs who took oath on June 25, hailed Udayanidhi Stalin, the son of Chief Minister MK Stalin. Some MPs called him the ‘future’. DMK’s face in Delhi since the UPA days, Dayanidhi Maran said, “Long live Tamil, Long live Kalaignar, Long live Periyar, Long live Anna, Long live Muthuvel Karunanidhi Stalin, Long live Udhayanidhi.” Coimbatore MP Ganapathy Rajkumar, Vellore MP Kathir Anand, and Perambalur MP Arun Nehru, among others in the DMK, followed in hailing Stalin junior.
Congress MP from Raebareli Rahul Gandhi, too, took the oath holding up a copy of the Constitution and chanted ‘Jai Hind, Jai Samvidhan’ during the conclusion. Since Monday, he has been flashing a copy of the Indian Constitution. As Rahul Gandhi took the dais to take oath “Jodo jodo, Bharat jodo” slogans were raised too, mostly by Congress members.
Taking his oath after Owaisi’s ‘Jai Palestine’ barb, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Bareilly Chhatra Pal Singh Gangwar ended his oath with ‘Jai Hindu Rashtra’. It was seen as an ‘answer’ to Asaduddin Owaisi. Interestingly, it sparked objections from many INDIA bloc parties who didn’t quite react to Owaisi’s ‘Jai Palestine’ quip. Akhilesh Yadav said, “It was against the values of the Constitution.”
But if one MP who made his point about the ongoing NEET row that is expected to blow up as soon as the Parliament’s regular sittings start after the President’s address, it has been Pappu Yadav. Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, wore a T-shirt emblazoned with “#reneet” when he came to the Lok Sabha to take oath on Tuesday. He started with “Bihar Zindabad” and concluded with slogans demanding NEET-UG re-examination and special category status for his state.
“There was no discussion on NEET, on special status for Bihar. That is why I said re-NEET and special status,” he later told reporters. However, it is pertinent to point out that discussions can’t happen unless MPs take oath and the President addresses both Houses.