New Delhi: A day after sparking a row for concluding his oath-taking as an MP from Hyderabad in the Lok Sabha with the slogan 'Jai Palestine', several complaints have been filed before President Droupadi Murmu seeking immediate disqualification of AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.
One of the complaints were filed by Supreme Court lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava. By publicly raising the pro-Palestine slogan 'Jai Palestine', in the Indian Parliament, Owaisi has acknowledged his deep-rooted allegiance and adherence to a foreign country, IANS reported, citing his complaint.
Srivastava in his complaint further added, "Owaisi is liable to be forthwith disqualified from being a Member of Parliament, as per Article 102 (d) of the Constitution of India, which provides for disqualification for membership if a person is under “any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign State."
Meanwhile, in a defiant stance following his contentious invocation of 'Jai Palestine' during his oath-taking in the Lok Sabha, Asaduddin Owaisi remained unapologetic, dismissing criticisms levelled against him. On Wednesday, while talking to the reporters, Owaisi said," Let them do whatever they want. I also know a little bit about the Constitution."
The incident occurred during the swearing-in ceremony of the 18th Lok Sabha, where Owaisi, representing Hyderabad for the fifth consecutive term, sparked controversy by expressing solidarity with Palestine after taking his oath in Urdu.
Owaisi's remarks drew strong reactions from members of the ruling coalition, prompting the Chair to expunge his statement from the official records. Despite the backlash, Owaisi defended his actions, saying "These empty threats will not work on me."
The AIMIM leader further justified his stance by highlighting the diversity of statements made by other MPs during the oath-taking, questioning the perceived wrongdoing in his expression of 'Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine." He invoked Mahatma Gandhi's historical remarks on Palestine to bolster his argument.