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Last Updated on: 24 July 2020 1:10 AM

Among 45 members 34 are first timers, to be nominated on Committees soon. RS Chairman asks law makers to uphold rules in the House

Staff Reporter / New Delhi

Forty five newly elected representatives today took oath as members of Rajya Sabha today. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu administered the oath to them in the House chamber.

Among the MPs who  were administered the oath are BJP leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Deepak Prakash, Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh and Mallikarjun Kharge,  M Thambidurai of AIADMK, Sharad  Pawar of NCP, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena . 

This is the first time that oath-taking of members  took  place in the House chamber during the inter-session period so as to maintain norms of physical distancing due to COVID-19.

Of the 61 members elected to Rajya Sabha from 20 States in the recent  biennial and bye-polls, 45 made oath/affirmation today including 34 who have been elected for the first time. 12 sitting members have been re-elected which include Mr Sharad Pawar, Mr Digvijaya Singh, Mr Bhubaneswar Kalita, Mr Prem Chand Gupta, Mr Harivansh and  Mr Ramdas Athawale, who took oath today.

 Those elected for the first time to Rajya Sabha include Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Mr K. C. Venugopal who have vast legislative experience and taken oath today.  

 Members including three women made oath/affirmation in 10 languages viz., Telugu, Bodo, Kannada, Manipuri, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil, Bengali, Hindi and English.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Mr M. Venkaiah Naidu has urged the newly elected members of the House to uphold rules and procedures of the House while discharging their duties as the law makers for the country.

In his remarks at the end of administration of oath/affirmation to the new members of Rajya Sabha in the Chamber of the House today, Mr Naidu urged them to hold themselves to account with regard to their conduct both within and outside the House, so as to enhance the standing of the institution in the eyes of the people.

The Chairman suggested to the members to question themselves if they had acted to enhance the dignity of the institution or to the contrary at the end of each day during session and if their conduct was ethical during the inter-session period. He said; “Answers to these simple questions would guide you on the  right path.”

Naidu has urged the newly elected not to fall prey to the temptation of disrupting the proceedings of the House for short term gains and instead, to be conscious of their noble responsibility toward enhancing the standing  of the apex legislature in public esteem. He stressed that “Ensuring rule of law is the spirit of our law of the land (Constitution). It shall begin with your compliance with the rules and procedures of this House.”

 Mr Naidu suggested to the first time members of Rajya Sabha to enhance their knowledge about the history and contribution of the House during the last 68 years, the objectives and course of freedom struggle, making of the Constitution and the functioning of the Parliamentary institutions by reading standard books.  Noting that time well spent is life well lived, Mr Naidu advised the new members to be in the House while in Session and be with the people when not in Session.  He urged the seniors to guide the first-timers in understanding the functioning of the House.

Mr Thaawarchand Gehlot, Leader of the House; Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of the Opposition; Mr Pralhad Joshi, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; Mr Arjun Ram Meghwal and Mr V. Muraleedharan, Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs were also present on the occasion.

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