NEW DELHI: Hitting out at the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi for a pro-Palestine chant after taking oath in Lok Sabha, the Bharatiya Janata Party said there are grounds to disqualify him from Parliament “as per extant rules”.
As Owaisi defended his remark saying he has not violated any provision of the Constitution, BJP I-T head Amit Malviya referred to Article 102 of the Constitution and wrote on X: “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”.
The Article 102 of the Constitution, which mentions grounds for disqualification as a member of either House of Parliament. In his tweet, Malviya highlighted the clause which says: “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”. The leader highlighted to “adherence to a foreign state” part on social media post.
Earlier in the day, Owaisi sparked row with his pro-Palestine chant during oath as Lok Sabha MP. Following strong protest by the BJP MPs in the House, the chair finally removed from the record. Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the chair at the time, assured the members that nothing extra would go on record, except the oath ceremony. Prior to this, when he moved to the podium to take the oath, he was greeted by Jai Shri Ram slogans.
Later the Hyderabad MP defended his remarks outside Parliament asserting he had not violated any provision of the Constitution. “Other members are also saying different things … I said ‘Jai Bheem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine’. How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of the Constitution?”
And then he referred to Mahatma Gandhi in order to defend his chant. “You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine.”
Asked why he mentioned Palestine, he said, “They are oppressed people.”
The BJP, however, rejected Owaisi’s remark and called for action. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Kiren Rijiju said he will check the rules regarding remarks.
“We do not have any enmity with Palestine or any other country. The only issue is, while taking the oath, is it proper for any member to raise the slogan praising another country? We will have to check the rules. Some members have come to me and complained about raising of Palestine slogan at the end of oath,” Rijiju said.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, meanwhile, took a jibe at Owaisi, questioning if he could say “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” (hail mother India).
He said Owaisi’s remarks are “totally wrong and against the rules of Parliament”. “Living in India, he cannot say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, but he can hail Palestine. Such people are doing anti-Constitutional work in the name of Constitution, that should be understood.”
As Owaisi defended his remark saying he has not violated any provision of the Constitution, BJP I-T head Amit Malviya referred to Article 102 of the Constitution and wrote on X: “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”.
The Article 102 of the Constitution, which mentions grounds for disqualification as a member of either House of Parliament. In his tweet, Malviya highlighted the clause which says: “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”. The leader highlighted to “adherence to a foreign state” part on social media post.
Earlier in the day, Owaisi sparked row with his pro-Palestine chant during oath as Lok Sabha MP. Following strong protest by the BJP MPs in the House, the chair finally removed from the record. Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the chair at the time, assured the members that nothing extra would go on record, except the oath ceremony. Prior to this, when he moved to the podium to take the oath, he was greeted by Jai Shri Ram slogans.
Later the Hyderabad MP defended his remarks outside Parliament asserting he had not violated any provision of the Constitution. “Other members are also saying different things … I said ‘Jai Bheem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine’. How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of the Constitution?”
And then he referred to Mahatma Gandhi in order to defend his chant. “You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine.”
Asked why he mentioned Palestine, he said, “They are oppressed people.”
The BJP, however, rejected Owaisi’s remark and called for action. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Kiren Rijiju said he will check the rules regarding remarks.
“We do not have any enmity with Palestine or any other country. The only issue is, while taking the oath, is it proper for any member to raise the slogan praising another country? We will have to check the rules. Some members have come to me and complained about raising of Palestine slogan at the end of oath,” Rijiju said.
Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, meanwhile, took a jibe at Owaisi, questioning if he could say “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” (hail mother India).
He said Owaisi’s remarks are “totally wrong and against the rules of Parliament”. “Living in India, he cannot say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’, but he can hail Palestine. Such people are doing anti-Constitutional work in the name of Constitution, that should be understood.”
