Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday took oath as a nominated member of Rajya Sabha amidst chant of “shame, shame” and walkout by the Oppositions MPs.
This is the first time ever that the House witnessed slogan shouting and walkout during an oath taking. House Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu ordered that the slogan shouting will not go on record.
“It is very unbecoming of members of Parliament. No, this is not the way. Nothing will go on record. (It is) very unfair, very unfair,” Naidu said as Opposition members greeted Gogoi with chants of “shame, shame”.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who was among the first to greet Gogoi when he entered the House minutes before the proceedings began, said what Opposition members did was grossly unfair.
After taking oath, Gogoi walked up to the chair to greet Naidu, who responded to his greetings with folded hands. Naidu said members have the liberty to express their views outside the House on the issue.
“You know the Constitutional provision, you know the precedent, you know the power of the President (to nominate a member to Rajya Sabha). You should not do anything in the House. Whatever views you have you are at liberty to express outside,” he said.
Gogoi was nominated to Rajya Sabha by President Ram Nath Kovind in the vacancy created after the retirement of KTS Tulsi. Earlier, Gogoi entered the House from the Chairman’s chamber and greeted members present with folded hands.
During Gogoi’s 13-month tenure, the Supreme Court delivered landmark judgements in the Ayodhya case, on the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the entry of women in Kerala’s Sabarimala temple and the Rafale jet deal along with Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The Congress has argued that Gogoi’s nomination to Rajya Sabha “within four months” of his retirement will shake the confidence and faith people have in the independence of the judiciary. The party has also tried to distinguish between Gogoi’s nomination and that of some of his predecessors’ entry into the Rajya Sabha “six to seven years” after their retirement.