New Delhi: AIMIM Chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday sparked controversy at the very beginning of the 18th Lok Sabha as he raised “Jai Palestine” slogan while concluding his oath as a member of the Lok Sabha.

While taking oath as an MP in the 18th Session of the Lok Sabha, Owaisi ended his oath with the words, “Jai Bhim, Jai Meem, Jai Telangana, Jai Palestine.”

The Hyderabad MP Owaisi also posted on X, “Sworn in as a member of Lok Sabha for the fifth time. Inshallah, I will continue to raise issues of India’s marginalised with sincerity.”

When questioned about his ‘Jai Palestine’ remark, Owaisi responded, “The people there is deprived. Mahatma Gandhi has spoken extensively on Palestine; one can refer to his writings.”

Defending his action, Owaisi said, “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?”

Asaduddin Owaisi secured a fifth consecutive victory from Hyderabad, Telangana, defeating BJP’s Madhavi Latha Kompella by a margin of 338,087 votes in the recent parliamentary elections.

Owaisi’s slogan in the Lok Sabha led to significant uproar among some MPs. In response to the controversy, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy stated that Owaisi’s choice to say “Jai Palestine”, who have opposed saying “Bharat Mata ki Jai” implies his action was deliberate and against the house rules.

“AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi’s ‘Jai Palestine’ slogan in Parliament today is absolutely incorrect and against the rules of the House. He resides in India but does not say ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’… It is essential for people to realize that he engages in unconstitutional activities within the country,” he commented.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju remarked that although India has no enmity towards Palestine, it also needs to be checked if it was “appropriate” for an MP taking an oath to conclude on a note of praising another country.