Pragya adds name of her 'guru' during oath, triggers Oppn uproar

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. File pic/AFP

New Delhi: BJP MP from Bhopal Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur created a controversy on the first day of the 17th Lok Sabha Monday when she suffixed the name of her spiritual guru with hers while taking oath, drawing sharp reaction from the Opposition. Amid protests and shouting, Thakur asserted that it was her full name and the same was mentioned in the form filled by her for taking oath.

The mention of Swami Purna Chetnanand Avdheshanand Giri as suffix to her name Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur drew strong objection from the Opposition members who said it was not permitted. The BJP MP, however, insisted that the suffix was part of her full name, resulting in an uproar from Opposition and slogan-shouting in her favour from the ruling benches. Pro tem Speaker Virendra Kumar sought to know from the Lok Sabha Secretary General the parliamentarian's full name. Amid the din, the Speaker ruled that only the name written in one's election certificate issued by the returning officer would go on record. After the ruling from the chair, she continued her oath. The Malegaon blast accused took oath in Sanskrit and ended it with 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan.

Thakur routed Congress stalwart Digvijaya Singh to enter the Lok Sabha for the first time. Later, BJP members continued to raise 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' slogan, teasing the Opposition. They started raising the slogan after oath-taking by every BJP member. After Ganjendra Umarao Singh Patel (BJP) completed his oath with 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai', N K Premchandran (RSP) urged the Pro tem Speaker to maintain the prescribed format of the oath. The Pro tem speaker ruled that the members stick to the format provided. After this, the BJP members started adding 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' at the end of every oath. Some of the prominent names who took oath from Madhya Pradesh included K P Yadav who defeated Jyotiraditya Scindia, Rakesh Singh, Ramakant Bhargava and Nakul Nath. Indore MP Shankar Lalwani took oath in Sindhi.

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