Indian-Origin MPs Swear Allegiance in British Parliament
London: The recently elected Indian-origin Members of Parliament in the House of Commons have commenced their parliamentary journey by pledging allegiance to the British Crown through various solemn rituals during the opening week of the new Parliament.
Shailesh Vara, presenting a new copy of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, initiated the proceedings, underscoring the cultural diversity in British politics. Rishi Sunak, assuming the role of Leader of the Opposition, also chose to swear his oath on this sacred Hindu scripture.
Among the notable MPs, Kanishka Narayan, the first Indian-origin MP from Wales representing the Vale of Glamorgan, and Shivani Raja from Leicester, opted for the ‘Gita’ as well. Bob Blackman, representing Harrow East, demonstrated unity by holding both the ‘Gita’ and the ‘King James Bible’ during his oath-taking, emphasizing inclusivity in the parliamentary process.
British Sikh MPs, including Tan Dhesi and newcomers like Gurinder Singh Josan and Harpreet Uppal, affirmed their oath with the Sikh scriptures. Preet Kaur Gill, with her head covered in a red scarf, held the cloth-wrapped ‘Sundar Gutka’ prayer book during her oath.
Other MPs, like Sojan Joseph from Kerala and Labour’s Ashford MP, chose texts such as the ‘New Testament’ and the ‘King James Bible’ respectively for their oaths. Meanwhile, non-religious affirmations were taken by Independent MPs Shockat Adam and Iqbal Mahmood, along with others like Tory MP Gagan Mohindra and Labour’s Lisa Nandy and Seema Malhotra.
The oath-taking ceremony concluded with all 29 Indian heritage MPs, among others, formally pledging allegiance in the Commons chamber. Parliament will reconvene next week for the State Opening and the King’s Speech outlining the new government’s agenda.
