Kolkata: In a fresh controversy triggered during the swearing-in ceremony of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee as the West Bengal Chief Minister on Friday, National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah was caught on camera talking on the phone while the national anthem was being played.
According to the Article 51A(a) of the Constitution, it is a moral duty of every citizen of India to respect ideals and institutions, the national Flag and the National Anthem.
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Minister of State for Urban Development Babul Supriyo, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav attended the swearing-in ceremony besides others.
Read Also: Mamata Banerjee faces challenges in her second stint as CM
Banerjee was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi at 12:45pm before a galaxy of political leaders and thousands of common people on a makeshift dais at the Indira Gandhi Sarani (Red Road) here.
Besides Mamata, 41 party MLAs also took oath as the ministers in the new Cabinet. After the event, all 42 ministers will go to state's main administrative building Nabanna to hold newly elected government's first Cabinet meeting, which is scheduled to be held at 4:30 pm.
