'Grounds for disqualification from Lok Sabha': BJP on Asaduddin Owaisi's Palestine chant

Asaduddin Owaisi

The Bharatiya Janata Party hitting out at AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi for his controversial "Jai Palestine" chant during oath-taking in the Parliament today, said there are enough grounds to disqualify him from the Parliament as per the "extant rules".

"As per extant rules, Asaduddin Owaisi can be disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership, for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State, that is Palestine," tweeted BJP I-T head Amit Malviya. Malviya also tagged the Lok Sabha secretariat account and as account and asked to "take note".

As per extant rules, Asaduddin Owaisi can be disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership, for demonstrating adherence to a foreign State, that is Palestine. Please note: @LokSabhaSecttpic.twitter.com/wh7bYbep8p

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 25, 2024

All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi stirred controversy on Tuesday by concluding his oath-taking in the 18th Lok Sabha with the slogan "Jai Palestine." Owaisi, who was re-elected as MP from Hyderabad parliamentary constituency, took the oath in Urdu and ended it with slogans – ‘Jai Bheem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine’.

The unexpected inclusion of "Jai Palestine" immediately drew objections from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MPs, including Shobha Karandlaje. Radha Mohan Singh, who was presiding over the swearing-in ceremony, announced that the controversial slogan would be expunged from the official records.

Union Minister G Kishan Reddy later criticised Owaisi's slogan calling it “absolutely wrong”. “This is against the rules of the House. He does not say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' while living in India... People should understand that he does unconstitutional work while living in the country,” Reddy told ANI.