Kerala Congress MP Kodikunnil Suresh took his oath in the Parliament soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and received a wide round of applause from most members, including the PM himself and other BJP leaders. But Kodikkunnil Suresh, who took the oath in Hindi, was questioned by senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.
Reportedly, Sonia expressed displeasure with Kodikunnil for delivering the oath in Hindi, as various states seek to oppose the Central government’s move to impose Hindi in different quarters.
Just as Kodikunnil started delivering his oath in Hindi, leaders including Narendra Modi and Minister Rajnath Singh, were seen tapping on the bench, applauding him. He also greeted the Prime Minister after delivering the oath.
After Kodikunnil went back to his seat following the oath, Sonia Gandhi reportedly asked him why he delivered oath in Hindi and not Malayalam, Madhyamam reports.
Following this, Sonia Gandhi asked other MPs from Kerala to deliver the oath in Malayalam itself.
“Sonia Gandhi asked why I took oath in Hindi. I had taken oath in English last time, so this time I opted for Hindi for a change,” Kodikunnil told the media.
Kodikunnil Suresh, a six-time MP, is serving his seventh term in the Parliament. The other MPs from Kerala who came after Kodikunnil Suresh took their oaths in either English or Malayalam. Remya Haridas, the only woman MP from Kerala, took the oath in English. According to reports, AM Ariff, the lone MP of LDF from Kerala, greeted Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi before taking his oath.
Congress Party President Rahul Gandhi, who is also the MP from Wayanad constituency from Kerala, took the oath in English in Parliament on Monday.