Drama in Assembly: Nowshera MLA takes oath in the name of Mata Vaishno Devi
JAMMU: As the 12th Assembly came in form Tuesday, BJP MLA Ravinder Raina triggered a controversy when he took the name of Mata Vaishno Devi while taking oath as MLA in the name of God, drawing objections from the opposition.
Raina, who is an MLA from Noushera Assembly segment and head of state BJP youth wing, came upto the Speaker’s chair and took oath in the name of Mata Vaishnodevi and said “I do swear in the name of Mata Vaishnodevi”.
CPI(M) MLA M Y Tarigami objected to him first and said there is a prescribed format for taking oath in the name of God (Ishwar).
“It was not provided to swear in the name of Vaishnodevi. The member can swear in the name of Ishwar,” Tarigami argued.
Others from opposition, including National Conference and Congress, supported Tarigami over objection.
However, Protem Speaker Mohmmad Shafi intervened asking Raina to take oath in the name of God.
Raina tried to convince opposition members and said “I am a worshipper of Ma Vaishnodevi and consider her as my Ishwar”.
He told the House that some people take oath in the names of Jesus and Allah, why can’t he take the oath in the name of Mata Vaishnodevi.
Speaker later castigated at the BJP MLA and directed him to use the word Ishwar to which he readily obliged.
However, the people sitting in the visitors gallery supported the move of BJP legislator and clapped for him for swearing in the name of Mata Vishno Devi.
This was objected by the opposition National Conference benches.
Yeah kisi party ka jalsa nahin ho raha hai (This is not the meeting of a political party), an NC legislator said.
Earlier newly elected legislators were sworn in by the Protem Speaker Mohammad Shafi Uri here ahead of the budget session of the state legislative assembly that starts from March 18 (Wednesday).
All the BJP legislators except Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh cane to the house wearing Dogra turbans
Before coming to the house, they first garlanded the statue of late Maharaja Hari Singh, the last autocratic ruler of the state, and the Prem Nath Dogra as a matter of respect.
Pertinently, Maharaja Hari Singh was the last Dogra ruler of Kashmir while Prem Nath Dogra was a Hindu zealot from Jammu who worked for total integration of the state with India. He formed Praja Parishad group in 1947 along with Balraj Madhok and opposed Kashmiri leaders pursuing anti-India policies.
Mufti Takes Oath
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was today administered oath as elected member of the 12th J&K Legislative Assembly by the Pro-tem Speaker Mohammad Shafi.
The Chief Minister was the first to take oath, followed by the other Members who have been elected to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu & Kashmir State, the official said.
9 members take oath as MLCs
Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council Ait Malhotra administered oath to nine newly elected members of the upper House.
The members who took oath were Yasir Reashi, Anayat Ali, Chering Dorjay, Javid Ahmad, Qasir Jamshid Lone, Sajad Ahmad Kichloo, Charnajit Singh, Surender Kumar Choudhry and Vibod Gupta.