Opposition leaders will welcome me very soon, says Ranjan Gogoi after taking oath as Rajya Sabha member

Amid the Congress and other Opposition leaders staging a walkout from Rajya Sabha during his oath-taking day, the newly inducted member of the Upper House and former Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday (March 19) expressed confidence that these leaders will welcome him very soon inside the Rajya Sabha.

 "They will welcome me very soon. There are no critics," Gogoi told the media. The former Chief Justice talked to the media while leaving the Parliament premises after taking oath as a Rajya Sabha MP.

This is the first time ever that the members indulged in slogan shouting and walkout during oath-taking ceremony.

The 65-year-old Gogoi retired as the Chief Justice of India in November last year after serving as the CJI of the apex court for 13 months. Gogoi, who hails from Assam, took oath in English in the name of God. As Gogoi's name called for oath-taking, Congress and Left members started creating ruckus and shouted slogans like 'Shame on You' and 'Deal'.

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked the leaders to not shout slogans but they did not pay any heed to his request. "It is very unbecoming of members of Parliament. No, this is not the way. Nothing will go on record. (It is) very unfair, very unfair," Naidu said.

Naidu reminded the Congress and Left leaders that they should try to express their views on this matter outside the House. "You know the Constitutional provision, you know the precedent, you know the power of the President (to nominate a member to Rajya Sabha)," he said.

"You should not do anything in the House. Whatever views you have you are at liberty to express outside," he added.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad slammed the opposition leaders for their unruly behaviour and said that what they did was "grossly unfair".

"This House has a great tradition of having many eminent persons coming from diverse fields including former justices nominated by those who have shouted today," Prasad said.

"Hon'ble member Gogoi, who has taken oath today, will surely contribute his best as a nominated member. And it was grossly unfair to do like this," he added.