Speaker Om Birla Enforces New Rule for Oath-Taking in Lok Sabha

Speaker Om Birla has amended the Lok Sabha rules to bar MPs-elect from adding any remarks during their oath-taking ceremonies in response to recent incidents of sloganeering. The new clause strictly prohibits any additional words or expressions as a prefix or suffix to the oath.

Speaker Om Birla has introduced a new rule in the Lok Sabha to prohibit MPs-elect from adding any remarks during their oath-taking ceremonies. This update comes after recent instances of members resorting to sloganeering, including phrases like 'Jai Samvidhan' and 'Jai Hindu Rashtra' while taking their oaths.

Birla added an amendment to 'Direction 1' of the 'Directions by the Speaker,' which regulates matters not specifically covered in the rules. According to the new clause, members must make and subscribe to the oath or affirmation without using any additional words or phrases.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju criticized the usage of the oath-taking platform for political messaging, with a war of words ensuing between the treasury and opposition benches on June 24 and 25.

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