New Delhi: Hours after All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi chanted ‘Jai Palestine’ after taking oath in Lok Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party said that “there are grounds to disqualify him from Parliament as per extant rules.”
Hitting out at the AIMIM chief, BJP IT Cell Head Amit Malviya, in a post on X, said, "As per extant rules, Asaduddin Owaisi can be disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership, for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State, that is Palestine."
Malviya also tagged the Lok Sabha secretariat account and asked to "take note."
In his post on X, Malviya referred to Article 102 of the Constitution — which mentions grounds for disqualification as a member of either House of Parliament
Highlighting the clause, the post said, "if he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State".
As per extant rules, Asaduddin Owaisi can be disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership, for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State, that is Palestine.Please note: @LokSabhaSecttpic.twitter.com/wh7bYbep8p
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 25, 2024
Asaduddin Owaisi Ends Oath With 'Jai Palestine' Chant
The oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected Members of Parliament at the ongoing session of Lok Sabha was marred by controversy on the second day as “Jai Palestine” and “Jai Hindu Rashtra” slogans echoed inside the new building.
It all started when All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi chanted “Jai Palestine” as he took oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha. While finishing his oath, Owaisi, towards the end, said, “Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine, Takbir, Allah Hu Akbar”
The move sparked a massive row with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders alleging it is against "the rules of the House.
Defending his remarks, Owaisi said the slogan he concluded his oath-taking with did not violate any provisions in the Constitution.
"Everyone is saying a lot of things. I just said "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine" How it is against, show the provision in the Constitution," said Asaduddin Owaisi.
Later, the presiding officer in the Lok Sabha, Radha Mohan Singh reportedly asked to this statement of Owaisi from the record. However, the video statement of Owaisi has gone viral.
After the swearing-in ceremony, Owaisi said in a post on X that he would continue to raise issues of India's marginalised with sincerity.
This incident recalls the moment in 2019 when several MPs chanted "Jai Shri Ram" as Owaisi took his oath of office.