The Kerala High Court has ruled that statutory oaths must be taken 'in the name of God' or by solemn affirmation, invalidating the oath-taking of 20 BJP councillors and a Congress ward member for invoking names of Hindu deities and martyrs.
The court allowed the councillors to re-take their oaths in four months, with 19 councillors re-taking their oaths in a hurriedly conducted function on Wednesday.
The ruling came in response to two petitions challenging the oaths taken by the councillors in December last year, which included invoking the names of various Hindu deities, social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, and martyrs of their political party.
The court ruled that adding the names of specific deities, 'Mother India', political martyrs, organisations or individuals to the oath was impermissible, and that elected representatives can only take oath 'in the name of God' or by making a solemn affirmation.
