Plea before President to sack Owaisi as MP over 'Jai Palestine' remark

NEW DELHI: A plea has been submitted before President Droupadi Murmu to expel Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi from Lok Sabha over his "Jai Palestine" remark he made while taking oath as parliamentarian.
Highlighting Article 102 of the Constitution, advocate Hari Shankar Jain said a member of either house is liable to disqualification in case the MP shows "allegiance or adherence to a foreign state".
"It is strange that Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi after taking oath immediately raised slogan to show that he is in adherence and allegiance to that state. It is a very serious matter and a threat to national security," Hari Shankar Jain said in a plea to the President.
He wrote: "The slogan raised by Mr Asaduddin Owaisi is a threat to the security, sovereignty and integrity of the nation. It is an extremely serious and critical issue which requires immediate attention and proper action in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 102 r/w 103 of the Constitution of India".
He urged the President to call the opinion of the Election Commission of India (ECI) as provided under Article 103 of the Constitution regarding disqualification "incurred" by Asaduddin Owaisi.
Owaisi on Tuesday stirred a huge row by saying "Jai Palestine" while taking oath as Lok Sabha MP in Parliament.
The five-time Hyderabad MP, who defeated BJP's Madhavi Latha, ended his oath-taking by saying, "Jai Bhim, Jai Palestine, Jai Telangana, and Allahu Akbar."
The slogan raised by Owaisi did not go well with some MPs of the Lok Sabha sparking a large uproar. Defending his remarks, Owaisi said the slogan he concluded his oath taking with did not violate any provisions in the Constitution.
"Everyone is saying a lot of things...I just said "Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine"...How it is against, show the provision in the Constitution," he asked.
Union minister G Kishan Reddy responding to the row said that Owaisi deliberately chose not to say "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and say "Jai Palestine," which the BJP minister said went 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," he said.
"On one hand, he is taking an oath in the name of the Constitution and, on the other, giving a slogan against the Constitution. The real face of Owaisi is out. Every day, they raise issues against the country and the Constitution," Reddy said.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju said, while India has no enmity with Palestine, it also needs to be checked if it was "appropriate" for a MP taking oath to conclude on a note of praising another country.
"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," he said.