MPs thank nation, people, language in mother tongue

Chennai: The newly elected Members of Parliament (MP) from Tamil Nadu took oath in Tamil and finished it by praising their leaders, mother tongue, state and country. However their assertion was met with counter-sloganeering by the BJP MPs by raising slogans "Bharat Mata Ki Jai."

Following the oath taking ceremony, the hashtag 'Tamil Vaazhga' became a trend on Twitter and other social media.

Reacting to the DMK MLAs taking oath in Tamil in  Parliament Chief Minister Edapadi K Palanisamy said that DMK MPs took oath in Tamil after they learning Hindi.

However, we cannot act like them, he said. The writer-politician and MP D. Ravikumar's post on Twitter-appealing to all his fellow MPs from the state to take oath in their mother tongue. After taking oath in Tamil, DMK's Dayanidhi Maran raised the slogan 'Tamil Vaazhga, Vaazhga Kalaignar, Vaazhga Periyar' (Long live Tamil, long live Kalaignar and Periyar).

Ravikumar said 'Velga Tamil, Vaazhga Ambedkar' (Victory for Tamil, Long Live Ambedkar) and VCK founder Thol Thirumavalavan said 'Vaazhga Ambedkar Periyar, Velga Jananaayagam Samathuvam' (Long Live Ambedkar and Periyar, Victory for democracy and equality). Similarly, K Kanimozhi of the DMK hailed Tamil and Periyar. Jothimani of the Congress said 'Vaazhga Tamil, Valarga Thaayagam' (Long Live Tamil, Let the motherland grow to great heights). DMK MP, Dr Senthil Kumar, attired in black shirt, said Periyar Vaazhga and Dravidam Vaazhga and DMK MP Parivendar said Tamilagam Vaazhga and India Vaazhga.

Communist party MPs raised slogans hailing 'secularism' and the motto of Communism: 'Ulaga Thozhilaargaley Ondru Serungal' (Proletariats of the world, unite!).  After taking oath AIADMK MP, Ravindranath Kumar said "MGR Vaazhga and Jayalalithaa Vaazhga. Vande Mataram, Jai Hind.