As the new parliament session began on Monday, the newly elected MPs took oath as members of parliament. While some took oath in Hindi, others took oath in English. However, the oath-taking ceremony of Congress MP from Kerala state, Kodikunnil Suresh, was what captured the attention of many in the Lok Sabha. The 2nd MP to take oath after PM Narendra Modi, K Suresh took the oath in Hindi, which was received with a wide round of applause from the NDA leaders, especially PM Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. K Suresh even greeted the PM personally in a warm gesture.
For a party that has been criticized for its hostility towards the Hindi language, K Suresh’s move was a refreshing change which was welcomed by many leaders, including those from BJP. However, not many in K Suresh’s own camp were pleased by this move, especially former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Once he turned back towards his seat, she immediately summoned him and asked him to explain why he made such a move. That wasn’t all. She even allegedly reprimanded him for not taking oath in Malayalam and directed the remaining MPs to take the oath in either English or Malayalam.
Confirming the same, K Suresh himself mentioned the incident to the media. He said, “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.”
This only further reveals the contempt Sonia Gandhi continues to hold for Indian ethos and values, especially in context to the Hindi language. At a time when people like M K Stalin, Pinarayi Vijayan, etc want to continue peddling their divisive politics under the garb of ‘Stop Hindi Imposition’ campaign, K Suresh’s oath-taking ceremony in Hindi came as a welcome change.
However, since K Suresh belonged to Congress, it came out to be against the party’s code of conduct, which includes excessive appeasement of its allies, irrespective of its impact on the national integrity. By showing her displeasure towards K Suresh’s choice of language, Sonia Gandhi has just proved that she has no respect for either ethics or Indian culture. She is further alienating the party from the popular support with such moves, which will only dent the chances of Congress further, should they ever want to make a comeback.
