PM Modi takes oath as member of 17th Lok Sabha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted by loud chants and thunderous applause this morning as he took oath as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha.
BJP lawmakers chanted "Modi, Modi" as PM Modi read out the oath in the lower house of the parliament. "I, Narendra Damodardas Modi, who has been appointed as the member of Lok Sabha, pledge that I would abide by constitution in delivering my duties," PM Modi said.
Parliament's first session after the national elections began today. Several key bills will be introduced in this session including the one that would make the practice of Triple Talaq illegal.
Among other lawmakers who took oath today were Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Smriti Irani.
Ms Irani, Union Minister for Textiles and Women and Child Development, received a long applause as she took oath. PM Modi and Rajnath Singh, who were sitting behind, thumped their desks, cheering her.
After she took oath in Hindi, Ms Irani greeted interim speaker Virendra Kumar and opposition leaders including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, who reciprocated with folded hands. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, defeated by Ms Irani in UP's Amethi, was not present in the house.
The BJP-led NDA was elected with a huge majority for a second term in the national elections last month. PM Modi comfortably won in his constituency of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh with over 6 lakh votes.
Ahead of the parliament session, PM Modi asked the opposition to not bother about numbers. "When we come to parliament, we should forget about paksh and vipaksh (government and opposition). We should think about issues with a nishpaksh (impartial) spirit and work in the larger interest of the nation," he said.
"The opposition need not bother about their numbers. I hope they speak actively and participate in house proceedings," he told the reporters before the parliament session began.