Swapan Dasgupta, Mahesh Jethmalani take oath as RS members; Naidu urges MPs to help people over vaccination

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday urged MPs to educate and motivate people to vaccinate themselves against Covid-19.

His remarks came after four new MPs -- John Brittas and Dr V Sivadasan (both CPI(M) members from Kerala) and nominated members Swapan Dasgupta and Mahesh Jethmalani -- took oath as Rajya Sabha members.

Brittas and Sivadasan have been elected to the Rajya Sabha for the first term. Among the nominated members, Dasgupta has been re-nominated to Rajya Sabha while Shri Mahesh Jethmalani has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha for the first time.

"The MPs should educate and motivate people in their constituencies to take the vaccine at the earliest. The government has already made the vaccine free for all persons falling in the category of 18 years and above except for those who want to get vaccinated in the private hospital," Naidu said at the oath-taking function.

Welcoming the new MPs, he said holding a public office is a 24x7 responsibility which entails never-ending accountability towards the citizens of the country.

"People have a lot of expectations from the MPs and as their representatives, it is their duty to voice concerns as well as aspirations of the people through various parliamentary devices from the floor of this august institution. The MPs should maintain high standards of conduct in public life befitting the decency, dignity and decorum of this ‘House of Elders’," he said.

Leader of the House Thaawarchand Gehlot, Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Ministers of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan and Arjun Ram Meghwal were also present on the occasion.