UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and BJP MP and former minister Maneka Gandhi were among the leaders who tok oath as members of 17th Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Gandhi, who retained the Rae Bareli constituency, took her oath in Hindi on the second day of the maiden session of the new Lok Sabha. Her son and Congress President Rahul Gandhi appeared to be capturing the moment on his mobile phone from the opposition benches. While there was a loud thumping of desks by the Congress members, voices were heard from the BJP benches “greeting” Sonia Gandhi “for taking oath in Hindi”. Immediately after her, BJP MP and former minister Maneka Gandhi was administered the oath and she and her sister-in-law Sonia Gandhi greeted each other with folded hands. Maneka Gandhi was elected from Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh. Her son Varun Gandhi, who was elected from Pilibhit, also took oath. Alphabetical order is followed for states in administering oath to their members. The maiden session of 17th Lok Sabha commenced on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah and Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari among the prominent members who took oath on the first day.
