Observing that some of the newly elected members of parliament/state legislatures are departing from the prescribed form of language for oath-taking and adding the names of their party leaders or venerable personalities while reading oaths, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Saturday urged Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to come up with an advisory to be adhered to in the context of the form and oath being read out by members.
The Governor noted that such directions were needed to preserve the ‘sanctity and dignity’ of the oath-taking process.
"Adding names of party leaders or any other person to whom members owe their faith or allegiance, to the format of the oath-taking, violates the sanctity of oath-taking process”, wrote Koshyari.
Koshyai's letter comes four days after the controversy erupted after BJP MP Udayanraje Bhosale chanted "Jai Hind Jai Maharashtra Jai Shivaji Jai Bhavani."
Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu had expressed disapproval after Udayanraje Bhonsle chanted the slogan "Jai Bhavani, Jai Shivaji" right after taking oath as a member of the Upper House of Parliament. Naidu had warned Bhonsle that no slogans are allowed in Parliament.
Udayanraje Bhonsle is the 17th descendant of Indian warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It was criticized by Congress, NCP, and Shiv Sena. However, Naidu clarified that he respects Chhatrapati Shivaji the most whole Bhosale controversy was downplayed.
In separate letters addressed to the presiding officers of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, Governor Koshyari recalled that he had to personally intervene and direct some of the members being sworn in as Ministers in Maharashtra to repeat their oath strictly as per the prescribed format without any addition or deletion.
In this context, he has urged the Vice President and Lok Sabha Speaker ‘to examine and deliberate upon’ the issue of departure by members from the prescribed format for oath and to come up with suitable directions/advisories to all concerned stakeholders so as to safeguard the sanctity and dignity of the oath-taking process.
