The Kerala High Court on Wednesday, June 24, said that elected local body representatives need to take their oath in the manner prescribed by law.
In a major judgment delivered by Justice P V Kunhikrishnan, the court declaring invalid the oaths of several BJP councillors in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation who earlier invoked names other than “God” or chose expressions beyond a solemn affirmation, PTI reported.
The matter came up for hearing after 20 councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation went on to take oath in the names of various Hindu deities, “Bharathamba” (Mother India), “Bharatha Matha”, Gurudeva as well as martyrs of their political movement.
However, the court stated that the Kerala Municipality Act and the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act require the elected members to take oath “in the name of God” or by making a solemn affirmation.
Also, a member of the Vadakkencherry grama panchayat in Palakkad district had taken oath “by God’s blessing in the name of Oommen Chandy”.
While hearing the plea, the court stated that taking an oath is a solemn promise to the electorate that the elected representative will uphold the Constitution. It added that this should be administered exactly as prescribed by law.
“When the statute prescribes a particular manner in which an oath is to be taken… the expansion of ‘God’ is not permissible,” read the High Court order.