A day after chants of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ reverberated through the halls of Parliament, it has now reached West Bengal assembly as newly elected BJP MLAs chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in the assembly after taking their oath.
Reportedly, on Wednesday, four BJP MLAs, three TMC MLAs and one Congress MLA took the oath after they were elected in the recently concluded by-polls. Joyel Murmu, the newly-elected BJP MLA from Habibpur Legislative Assembly chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’ after taking the oath.
West Bengal Legislative Assembly Speaker Biman Bandopadhaya had earlier issued a warning to the newly elected members against any sort of chanting or sloganeering during, before or after the oath. The speaker had asked the leaders to stick to the written text. However, the newly elected legislators went beyond the speaker’s request to raise various slogans.
Manoj Tigga, another BJP MLA from Madarihat, said, “We can say ‘Jai Shri Ram’ because as Christians have Jesus, Muslims have Allah, we have ‘Jai Shri Ram’. The entire assembly was so excited [during chanting], which means that there will more chantings of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in the upcoming days.”
Reacting to ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogans, TMC MLA from Uluberia East Idris Ali shouted “Jai Hind” after taking the oath. However, the speaker objected to both Jai Shri Ram and Jai Hind and asked legislators to stick to the written oath.
Apart from ‘Jai Sri Ram’, slogans like Jai Ma Kali, Allahu Akbar, Radhe Radhe were are also heard during the swearing-in ceremony in the West Bengal assembly.
Speaker Biman Bandopadhaya said that using any religious slogans in the proceedings of parliament or assembly is against the Constitution of India. The secretary would call upon the newly elected members of Bengal Assembly and would advise them not to chant anything other than Parliamentary issues during any proceedings.
Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee also directed that the chant be removed from the record of assembly proceedings.
