The second day of oath-taking in the 17th Lok Sabha on Tuesday was marked by raising of slogans such as Jai Shri Ram, Jai Maa Durga, Jai Bheem, Tamil Vazhuka and Allahu Akbar by members with some even engaging in heated exchanges and bravados and countering. The sloganeering went unabated ignoring the Chair’s direction to desist from it.
Many MPs were adding their own slogans related to religion and cheering up regionalism from the podium after Oath taking. Ruling party also paid tit for tat for those who on Monday made hue and cry during the Bhopal MP Sadwi Pragya Singh Thakur.
Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM MP from Hyderabad, chanted “Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Takbeer Allahu Akbar, Jai Hind”, after members from the ruling side shouted slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Vande mataram’. Chanting of Jai Shri Ram was at its peak, when Owaisi was called to take oath. At one point, Owaisi was seen asking Chair to control the sloganeering BJP MPs, asking how could take oath during such a nosy situation.
Slogans of Vande Mataram rose at its peak in Lok Sabha after Samajwadi Party’s MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq made comments against Vande Mataram from the podium after his Oath taking. “Jahan tak Vande Mataram ka taaluq hai, it is against Islam we cannot follow it” he said after concluding his oath.
While many BJP MPs ended their oath with chants of ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ and Jai Shri Ram, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Shafiqur Rahman Barq, objected to Vande Mataram slogan, drawing protests from members of treasury benches who demanded an apology from him. BSP member Shyam Singh Yadav concluded his oath with ‘Jai Bheem, Jai Bharat and Jai Samajwad’.
Some of the members especially from West Bengal and Tamil Nadubegan and ended their oath with sloganeering despite the presiding officer ruling that that no slogans will go on record. Many DMK MPs ended with slogal ‘Tamil Vazhuka’ (Let Tamil win), BJP MPs and pther MPs from North India also countered them from shouting back Bharat Mata Ki Jai and Jai Hind.
When the members from the West Bengal, especially those belonging to Trinamool Congress, took oath, those from the treasury benches teased them with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan.
TMC members countered with slogans like Jai Hind, Jai Bengal, Jai Maa Durga and Jai Mamata. Kalyan Banerjee of TMC recited ‘Durga Path’ after concluding his oath while his party colleague Abu Taher Khan began his oath with ‘Bismillah, ar-Rahman, ar Rahim’ and ended with Allahu Akbar. Devendra Singh
Bhole began with ‘Om Namah Shivay’, while Ravindra concluded his oath ‘Jai Yogi, Jai Modi’. Nisith Pramanik came to the House with ‘rajbongshi pagdi’ and took oath in Bengali.
As West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s name was called for oath, BJP members chanted Jai Shri Ram.
Responding to chanting by treasury benches, he said even Modiji is not so much popular in the House. Banerjee hoped that he will continue to get blessing from members of treasury benches.