Thiruvananthapuram: The oath-taking ceremony of newly elected members of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation ended up in a controversy after BJP workers sang the RSS 'Gana Geetham' (prayer song) inside the Corporation Council Hall.

BJP workers sang the song immediately after the councillors' oath-taking, drawing sharp criticism from the CPM, which accused the BJP of pushing a communal agenda.

CPM councillor S P Deepak said that elections and oath-taking ceremonies had been held for over four decades without any such incident. “This is the first time such an act has taken place during an oath-taking ceremony, disrupting its decorum and order. The District Collector administers the oath and presides over the function.

“However, the RSS and BJP have attempted to communalise the ceremony by singing the 'Gana Geetham'. Right from the beginning, the move reflected an intention to saffronise the Corporation office. We will never agree to this,” he said.

Responding to the allegations, BJP councillor V V Rajesh said all parties present had raised slogans or sung their respective party songs. “The CPM and the Congress also sang their party songs and raised slogans. All parties present did the same. There is no need to create an issue out of this.”

Congress councillor Sabarinath said he did not hear the song during the oath-taking ceremony due to the noise. “I came to know about it only through the media. However, the move was not right at all.”

Earlier in April, a similar controversy erupted in Kollam after ‘Gana Geetham’ was sung during a music programme held as part of a festival at the Manjippuzha Sree Bhagavathy Bhadrakali Temple in Kottukkal. The Travancore Devaswom Board took action against the temple advisory committee in connection with the incident.

For the record, all 100 elected councillors, except the member from the Vizhinjam division, where elections were not held, were sworn in today. Those who took the oath of office included 50 from the BJP, 29 from the LDF, 19 from the UDF and two independents.