What is the right way of taking oath?

MLA Basavarja Rayareddy took objection for some legislators taking oath in the name of God and parents, at Legislative Assembly. Photo: V Sreenivasa Murthy

Congress MLA Basavaraj Rayaraddi on Wednesday objected to some members taking oath in the name of their parents, God or social reformers in the Legislative Assembly, claiming that it was against the prescribed rules.

Citing rules under the Third Schedule of the Constitution, Mr. Rayaraddi said that there was a prescribed format for taking oath and that it had been defied.

However, pro-tem speaker Malikayya Guttedar rejected his objections and continued the oath-taking agenda.

Petition by lawyers

A team of 10 advocates on Monday appealed to Governor H.R. Bhardwaj “to disqualify” and “delete” the names of two “so-called” Ministers of Mr. Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet for not taking oath “properly” during the swearing-in ceremony earlier.

In a letter, they sought disqualification of Excise Minister Satish Jarkiholi and Minister for Information and Technology S.R. Patil saying that while the former was “standing without reading the secrecy of affirmation” during the ceremony, the latter took oath in the name of his mother.

They noted that the two did not follow norms prescribed in the Third Schedule of the Constitution and they may be directed to take oath properly again by paying a fine of Rs. 500 per day (from the day of taking oath), as prescribed in Article 193 of the Constitution.