Who said you can't say 'Vande Mataram', 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', asks LS Speaker Om Birla

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said it will not be challenging for him to run the lower House of the Parliament, where chants of 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' were heard when several leaders including UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi took oath earlier this week.

Asked whether it was going to be tough for him to run the Lok Sabha amid religious chants, Om Birla said, "There is no challenge. We will run the House by keeping all party leaders together... Who said you cannot say 'Vande Mataram' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'?"

Sonia Gandhi, who retained the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat for the Congress, took oath on Tuesday. She was welcomed to take the oath amid slogans of 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Jai Sri Ram'.

Owaisi was also greeted with slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram', 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Vande Mataram' on Tuesday as he went on to take oath as a member of the 17th Lok Sabha.

Owaisi, a Member of Parliament (MP) from Hyderabad constituency, gave it back and said, "Jai Bheem, Jai Meem, Takbeer Allahu Akbar, Jai Hind" while concluding his oath.

Moreover, slogans of "mandir vahin banayenge" (temple will be built there) were raised in the Lok Sabha after Sakshi Maharaj, the BJP MP who won from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh, took oath as a member of the House.

Maharaj concluded his oath with 'Jai Shri Ram'.