Video: MPs chant prayers in parliament despite warnings!

Oath-taking by the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha in the parliament saw heated exchanges and tit-for-tat slogan-shouting by both the party members.

MPs including Hemamalini were seen chanting Jai Shri Ram, Vante Matharam, Radhe Radhe, Alla hu Akbar despite the speaker asking them not to do so.

Earlier when DMK members hailed Periyar, Kalaingar, Gandhiji and Ambedkar, the Chair asked him to stick to the prescribed format.

Speaker Om Birla said “I don’t think Parliament is the place for sloganeering, for showing placards, or for coming to the well,” he said. “There is a road for that where they can go and demonstrate. Whatever people want to say here, whatever allegations they have, however they want to attack the government they can, but they can’t come to the gallery and do all this.”

As a custodian of the house, Birla said he is fully aware of his responsibilities but added, "Members should also understand they have been elected by lakhs of people. They should raise issues which matter to the last person standing in the row."

Birla also assured the Lok Sabha members that he will remain fair and unbiased, reports News 18.

While ‘Jai Sri Ram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ were heard intermittently during the day, the pitch for ‘mandir wahin banayenge’, a reference to the demand of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, were raised after Unnao BJP leader Sakshi Maharaj’s swearing-in. Maharaj took oath in Sanskrit and concluded with ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Sri Ram’ slogans.

Hyderabad MP-elect Asaduddin Owaisi, too, walked down the staircase of the House to take oath amid chants of 'Jai Shri Ram' and Vande Mataram'.

'Solemn moment marked by slogan competition'. What's happening in Parliament? pic.twitter.com/On5856DNA4

— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) June 21, 2019