Kamal Nath sworn-in as pro-tem Speaker, Lok Sabha adjourned for the day

Senior Congress MP Kamal Nath took oath as the pro-tem Speaker at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at 10 am on Wednesday. He will preside over the Lok Sabha proceedings till the election of a new speaker on June 06.

Zee Media Bureau/Ritesh K Srivastava

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath was on Tuesday sworn-in as the pro-tem Speaker of the newly constituted Lok Sabha by President Pranab Mukherjee here. 67-year-old Nath, a nine-term MP, was administered the oath at a simple function in the Rashtrapati Bhavan which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of State (Parliamentary Affairs) Santosh K Gangwar. The former Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Lok Sabha Member from Madhya Pradesh`s Chhindwara was congratulated by the President and other dignitaries after the oath that took place in the `Yellow Drawing Room` of the Presidents` House. Shortly after that the Lok Sabha paid homage to late Union Minister Gopinath Munde who passed away on Tuesday in a car crash in Delhi. The first day of the 16th Lok Sabha was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said that he government will make all efforts in this temple of democracy to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of people. After observing a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed member, the House was adjourned for the day. After the oath, Nath said that his party will play the role of a "constructive Opposition" and will work to live up to the aspirations of the youth and the country. "We will certainly play the role of a constructive Opposition. The BJP created ruckus and did riot in the last five years in the House but we will not allow this," Nath told reporters after the oath. He said the role of the Opposition will be to attract government`s attention towards the needs of the people and to help "clear pending legislations." Nath said the Speaker of the Lok Sabha will decide the Leader of the Opposition and this would happen day after tomorrow. "It is a important decision to have a Leader of Opposition," he added. The Protem Speaker performs the duties of the office of the Speaker from the commencement of the sitting of the Lok Sabha till the election of the Speaker.