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PATNA: The newly elected AIMIM member of the Bihar legislative assembly, Akhtarul Iman, asked pro tem Speaker Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday whether the word “Hindustan” in the text for taking the oath in Urdu could be replaced by “Bharat”, which is otherwise mentioned in the Preamble to the country’s Constitution. Iman is also AIMIM state president.
The query surprised Manjhi, who said the text had become a part of convention. After consulting with the assembly secretariat secretary in whispers, Manjhi allowed Iman to take the oath in Urdu and to replace the word “Hindustan” with “Bharat”.
“Whatever query I made was before I took the oath. It was merely a suggestion from my side, not an objection,” Iman said, adding: “I had only made a point that the Preamble of the Constitution did not mention the word Hindustan. Instead, it is ‘Bharat’ that has been mentioned there. Accordingly, I thought that since we were taking oath in the name of the Constitution, it would be proper to use the word Bharat, instead of Hindustan.”
However, the Kochadhaman MLA’s intervention stirred a small controversy. “Those who have any problem with the use of the word ‘Hindustan’ should better go to Pakistan, or any other country,” BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Singh Babloo said. Ex-minister and JD(U) MLA Madan Sahani sounded more circumspect. “Hindustan is a very common word that is used by people. Some people like to look different or try to get instant limelight. What he said was really unnecessary,” Sahani said.
Several legislators drew attention on the first day of the 17th Vidhan Sabha as they entered the House, some for the first time, showcasing their unique individual styles or the region they were representing.
