New Delhi:

As several MPs took oath in their mother tongue in Lok Sabha on Monday, BJP MP from Saran in Bihar Rajiv Pratap Rudy rued the fact that he could not take the oath in Bhojpuri.

The Lok Sabha witnessed a display of linguistic diversity on Monday, with the newly elected MPs taking their oaths in English and Indian languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Dogri, Bengali, Assamese and Odia.

The MPs can subscribe to the oath or affirmation in English or any of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Bhojpuri, however, is not listed in the Eighth Schedule.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy, who defeated Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate and party supremo Lalu Prasad’s daughter Rohini Acharya, said it was nice to see MPs taking oath in their mother tongue.

At the time, the oath-taking was being presided over by Radha Mohan Singh, a BJP MP from Bihar’s Purvi Champaran.

“Everyone is taking oath in their own languages and it feels so good… It would have been even better if we could have taken oath in Bhojpuri,” Rudy said, addressing the Chair.

#18thLokSabha: Rajiv Pratap Rudy, (BJP) takes oath as Member of Parliament (Saran, Bihar)

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“I will read my oath,” he said, and proceeded with taking the oath in Hindi. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Patna:

Former Union Minister and BJP candidate for Bihar’s Saran Lok Sabha seat, Rajiv Pratap Rudy on Sunday said that his real fight is with RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Rohini Acharya is just a “mask”.

“Lalu Prasad Yadav cannot contest the election… Hence, he is using Rohini Acharya as a mask,” Mr Rudy said.

“Rohini Acharya sometimes calls me a fool and makes indecent remarks about our (BJP) state president Samrat Choudhary. The people of Saran sent me to the Parliament for the two consecutive terms, were they fools? Is Rohini trying to say this?” the sitting MP said.

Mr Rudy is contesting against Ms Acharya, the daughter of former Chief Minister Lalu Prasad, from the Saran Lok Sabha constituency, where polling is scheduled to be held in the fifth phase on May 20.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy is visiting door-to-door for his election campaign while ailing RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, along with his wife and former CM Rabri Devi, recently campaigned for his daughter in Saran.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)