Parliament Session: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday (June 25) took an oath as Lok Sabha MP, but stoked a controversy by hailing conflict-hit West Asian country, “Jai Palestine”, sparking a huge uproar in the Lower House of the Parliament, and forcing the slogan to be expunged. Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the Chair at the time, assured the members that anything apart from the oath will not go on record. Parliamentary Affairs Minister 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 the raising of the Palestine slogan at the end of oath," he said.
Owaisi defends his remarks
Justifying his act, Owaisi, said that other members were saying different things during their oath-taking ceremony and asked how his hailing Palestine could be wrong.
“Other members are also saying different things…How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of the Constitution? 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.”
Owaisi entered the Parliament as the Hyderabad MP for his fifth term, and took oath in Urdu.
What do the rules say?
According to Article 102-1(d) in the Practice and Procedure of Parliament Book, Page 55, a member of the House can be disqualified if he/she is under any acknowledgment of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State.
As per the extant rules, Owaisi can be disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State, that is Palestine.
102 Disqualification for membership.—
(1) A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of either House of Parliament –
1[(a) if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State, other than an office declared by Parliament by law not to disqualify its holder;]
(b) if he is of unsound mind and stands so declared by a competent court;
(c) if he is an undischarged insolvent;
(d) if he is not a citizen of India, or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a foreign State, or is under any acknowledgment of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State;
(e) if he is so disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament.
4[103. Decision on questions as to disqualifications of members.-
(1) If any question arises as to whether a member of either House of Parliament has become subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in clause (1) of article 102, the question shall be referred for the decision of the President and his decision shall be final.
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