Owaisi Hails Palestine, Faces Backlash In Parliament

NEW DELHI: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi Tuesday hailed a conflict-hit West Asian country after taking oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha, triggering an uproar from the treasury benches that led to the Chair ordering that the remarks be expunged.

Owaisi, however, justified his slogans after he came out of the House and told reporters there was nothing wrong in him saying “Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine”.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, meanwhile, said he has received complaints from some members about the mention of Palestine.

Asked about his remarks, Owaisi told reporters, “Other members are also saying different things… How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of the Constitution? You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine”.

Asked why he mentioned Palestine, he said, “They are oppressed people.”

The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader, who has been elected from the Hyderabad seat for his fifth term, took oath in Urdu. He also recited a prayer before taking oath.

After taking oath, he hailed his state Telangana, Bhimrao Ambedkar, apart from raising the AIMIM’s slogan for Muslim, along with the West Asian country.

His remarks led to uproar in the Lower House. Radha Mohan Singh, who was in the Chair at the time, assured the members that anything apart from the oath will not go on record.

The uproar continued for few minutes, after which the oath-taking resumed.