AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi, while taking oath as a member of the 18th Lok Sabha on Tuesday, concluded his oath hailing a conflict-hit West Asian region along with the words: "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana".
Owaisi's speech triggered an uproar from the treasury benches that led to the Chair expunging the part of speech.
The AIMIM leder, 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 his oath, he hailed his state Telangana, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, apart from raising the AIMIM's slogan for Muslim. Owaisi also hailed a west Asian region that is presently facing conflict and has been in focus.
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 ruckus continued for few minutes, after which the oath-taking resumed.
The BJP hit out at the AIMIM MP calling it "absolutely wrong" and saying that such slogans are against the rules of the house.
"The slogan 'Jai Palestine' given by AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi in Parliament today is 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," Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said.
Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Owaisi asserted that he said "Jai Palestine". "Other members are also saying different things... I said 'Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine'. How is it wrong? Tell me the provision of Constitution? You should also listen to what others said. I said what I had to. Read what Mahatma Gandhi had said about Palestine," Owaisi said.
Asked why he mentioned Palestine, he said, They are oppressed people.
Speaking on the issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said, "We do not have any enmity with Palestine or any other country. While taking the oath is it proper for any member to raise the slogan praising another country... We will have to check the rules if it is appropriate."
The oath-taking ceremony continued in the lower house of the parliament on the second day as MPs from Uttar Pradesh, Tripura and other states took oath as Member of Parliament.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav also took oath as MPs earlier today.