BJP MP Pratap Simha at Parliament House in Delhi on Monday. (L); BJP MPs Gopal Thakur and Ashok Kumar Yadav at Parliament. (Express photo by Anil Sharma)Chants of “Modi, Modi” rang through as Prime Minister Narendra Modi entered the House on Monday when the 17th Lok Sabha assembled for the first time. The chants by newly elected BJP MPs resumed when Modi took oath as a member. On the other side, the opposition members silently watched.
Pro-tem speaker Virendra Kumar, sworn in by President Ram Nath Kovind to the interim office on Monday morning, conducted the proceedings. He called the panel of chairmen — Suresh Kodikunnil (Congress), Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD) and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh (BJP) — to take the oath.
Suresh, elected from Kerala, chose to take his oath in Hindi, triggering speculation that he was pitching for the job of the Congress floor leader. An ability to communicate in both English and Hindi is supposed to be a key requirement for the assignment.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was sworn in next, followed by Home Minister and BJP president Amit Shah. The members were sworn-in state-wise after the entire council of ministers.
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, Minister of State for Ayurveda Shripad Yesso Naik and Minister of State for Small and Medium Enterprises Pratap Chandra Sarangi took oaths in Sanskrit. Minister of State Jitendra Singh opted for Dogri.
Minister for Textiles and Women and Child Development Smriti Irani received a loud applause from her party colleagues. While she walked in to take oath, a BJP member was heard saying: “Rahulji kahan hain?” The Congress president had not arrived by then. Every time a BJP member from West Bengal took an oath, party members shouted “Jai Shri Ram” — West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee had recently accused the BJP of using the slogan to mix religion with politics.
Rahul later took the oath in English.
Besides ministers, members from 23 states and Union Territories took oath. The remaining members will take oath on Tuesday.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav and son Akhilesh, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal and DMK leaders Kanimozhi and A Raja were present in the House.
While Sumedhanand Saraswati, Balak Nath, Jai Siddheshwar Shivacharya, Sakshi Maharaj, Niranjan Jyoti and Pragya were dressed in shades of saffron, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Minister for Animal Husbandry Giriraj Singh and Minister of State for Home G Kishen Reddy sported saffron attire in part. So did several other BJP members.
Two members from Bihar — Gopal Thakur and Ashok Kumar Yadav — stood out due to their traditional Maithil clothing and headgear. Members from Assam sported the Assamese “gamocha”.
YSR Congress members from Andhra Pradesh sported the “Angavastram” with the embossed picture of party president and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
