Blog

An Indian MP sparked a political controversy when he ended his oath of office with the words “Long live Palestine.”

Asaduddin Owaisi shouted the pro-Palestinian slogan during the swearing-in ceremony for the 18th Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament, when 542 other MPs were declared winners of the Indian national election.

“I, Asaduddin Owaisi, who has been nominated as a Member of Parliament, do swear in the name of Allah that I will be loyal to the Constitution of India as laid down by law, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India and that I will faithfully discharge the duty which I now undertake,” he said in Urdu.

“Long live Bhim, long live AIMIM, long live Telangana and long live Palestine, God is greatest.”

Bhim is the nickname of Bhimrao Ambedkar, a Dalit icon, AIMIM is the acronym for the All-India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party that Owaisi leads, and Telangana is the state from which he was elected for the fifth consecutive time.

However, his reference to Palestine caused the greatest controversy, and other MPs demanded an apology.

Owaisi’s reference to Palestine comes amid Israel’s ongoing brutal war on Gaza. At least 37,718 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October and over 86,377 injured in the same period.

The Indian government took a pro-Israel stance during the conflict and India emerged as one of the leading sources of pro-Israel disinformation on social media early in the conflict.

Minister for Fisheries and Livestock Rajiv Ranjan Singh said Owaisi’s comment was “wrong”.

“He swears his oath on the Indian Constitution while raising a slogan in support of another nation,” he said.

Amit Malviya, a politician from India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also attacked Owaisi.

“As per existing rules, Asaduddin Owaisi can be disqualified from membership of the Lok Sabha if he shows his affiliation with a foreign state, namely Palestine,” he said.

Malviya also posted on X a portion of Article 102 of the Indian Constitution, which lists the various grounds for expulsion from Parliament.

However, Owaisi reiterated his comments to reporters in New Delhi.

“Let them do what they want. I also know a little about the Constitution. These empty threats will not work on me,” he said.

The Muslim leader comes from a family of politicians; his father was MP for Hyderabad six times from 1984 to 2004.

As president of AIMIM, Owaisi fought for the rights of Muslims and other religious minorities, including people from the Dalit caste.