All constitutional positions have a well-prescribed format for the oath-taking ceremony, and it is generally expected that it will be honoured by all. If violations are found, the courts may be compelled to monitor and uphold the established constitutional practice. It is against this backdrop that BJP Keralam has raised objections to the manner in which the oath was administered in the Kannur Corporation.
It has been reported that BJP Keralam has filed a complaint with the Kannur District Collector demanding the cancellation of the oath taken by eighteen UDF councillors and one SDPI (the political wing of the banned Popular Front of India) councillor of the Kannur Corporation. BJP district president K. Vinod Kumar stated that the oath taken in the name of Allah is not legally valid.
They have alleged that eighteen UDF councillors belonging to the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League, along with one SDPI councillor, took the oath in violation of the prescribed practice.
Therefore, the BJP has demanded the cancellation of the oaths taken by them. The party said that the rules and regulations governing the oath-taking ceremony should be strictly adhered to. Therefore, all those councillors, including the Mayor, who violated the rules should resign from their positions.
The BJP Keralam stated that its demand is not confined to the Kannur Corporation alone. If anyone has taken the oath in the name of Allah in any other Local Self-Government body, they should resign immediately.
The oath-taking process should be in conformity with the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act. The complaint states that the use of words and provisions not prescribed under the rules during the oath-taking ceremony should be examined. Vinod Kumar said that if no action is taken on the party’s complaint, it will move the court.
It may be recalled that a CPM councillor of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation had moved the High Court, alleging that some BJP members had taken the oath in the name of Bharat Mata, Attukal Devi, Sree Narayana Guru and the RSS martyrs.
Consequently, on June 24, the Court ordered them to retake the oath in the name of God, the Constitution, etc. Immediately thereafter, all nineteen BJP councillors retook the oath.
According to the BJP, this reflects a double standard, with one rule being applied to the BJP and another to the INDI Alliance partners.
The controversy has once again drawn attention to Kannur, a district that has long been associated with intense political and ideological contestation. Over the decades, Kannur has evolved into a Communist stronghold where political influence is deeply rooted. It has also witnessed the rise of radical Islamist organisations, including the Popular Front of India (PFI), which was later banned. Its affiliated political wing, the SDPI, continues to remain active with the same ideological orientation. Against this backdrop, the latest oath-taking controversy has further fuelled political controversy in Kannur.
