Newly elected Indian-origin MPs to the House of Commons are honoring their allegiance to the British Crown by either swearing on holy texts or affirming their oath during the first week of Parliament. A notable moment came when Shailesh Vara, the former Conservative MP who recently lost his Cambridgeshire seat in the general election, presented a new copy of the Bhagavad Gita to Speaker Lindsay Hoyle.
Rishi Sunak Takes the Oath with the Bhagavad Gita
This gesture was prominently featured as Rishi Sunak, one of the first British Indian MPs to take the oath as Leader of the Opposition on Tuesday, held the sacred text in his right hand and recited the traditional oath: “I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.”
First-Time MP Kanishka Narayan and New Tory MP Shivani Raja Opt for the Bhagavad Gita
For the first time, Kanishka Narayan, an Indian-origin MP from Labour, took the oath as the representative for the Vale of Glamorgan in the Westminster Parliament, becoming the first MP of Indian descent to represent Wales. Along with Narayan, new Tory MP Shivani Raja from Leicester also chose to swear their oath using the Bhagavad Gita.
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Bob Blackman Holds Both the Bhagavad Gita and the King James Bible
In a notable display of respect for both faiths, Bob Blackman, a veteran Tory MP for Harrow East in London and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus, held both the Bhagavad Gita and the King James Bible while taking his oath of office.
“This ‘Bhagavad Gita’ has been specially blessed in a temple in India and will be used by Hindu MPs entering Parliament following this General Election and those who will enter in the generations to come,” said Shailesh Vara, where he recently presented this holy text, which was blessed at the Mayapur temple headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Diverse Choices for Oath-Taking Among British Sikh MPs and Others
Several British Sikh MPs, including Tan Dhesi and first-time members Gurinder Singh Josan, Harpreet Uppal, Satvir Kaur, and Warinder Singh Juss, opted to swear their oaths on Sikh scriptures without holding any text in their hands. Preet Kaur Gill, who was adorned with a red scarf, chose to hold the ‘Sundar Gutka’ prayer book wrapped in cloth during her swearing-in.
Sojan Joseph, a mental health nurse from Kerala elected as Labour MP for Ashford in Kent, selected the ‘New Testament’ for his oath. Meanwhile, the ‘King James Bible’ was used by re-elected Conservatives Priti Patel and Claire Coutinho, as well as Liberal Democrat Munira Wilson.
MPs also had the option for a non-religious affirmation, a choice embraced by the two new Independent MPs with Indian roots, Shockat Adam and Iqbal Mahmood, along with several others including Tory MP Gagan Mohindra and Labour’s Lisa Nandy and Seema Malhotra. Newly elected MPs such as Tory MP Dr. Neil Shastri-Hunt and Labour’s Jeevun Sandher and Sonia Kumar also chose to affirm their pledge of allegiance.
Oath-Taking Process Completes as Parliament Adjourns Until July 17
Since Tuesday, all elected MPs, including 29 of Indian heritage, have been lining up in the Commons chamber to fulfill this ceremonial requirement before they can officially assume their roles in Parliament.
The oath-taking process was completed on Thursday, and Parliament has been adjourned until next week, when the State Opening and King’s Speech will outline the new government’s agenda for the upcoming parliamentary session on July 17.
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