New Delhi, July 25 (H.S.): Kamal Haasan, actor and leader of Makkal Needhi Maiam, along with P. Wilson, S.R. Shivalingam, and Rajati Salma, took the Rajya Sabha oath on Friday. Haasan, elected unopposed on June 12 with DMK support, took his oath in Tamil. His party, founded in 2017, focuses on corruption, rural development, and environmental sustainability.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it received about 4 percent of the votes, and he narrowly lost the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections to BJP's Vanathi Srinivasan. Makkal Needhi Maiam did not contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but supported DMK.

After the oath-taking, proceedings were adjourned until noon due to rejected opposition notices about issues like a special intensive revision of Bihar's electoral roll. The Deputy Chairman noted 28 notices under Rule 267 for discussions on various matters. Protests from opposition members led to the Rajya Sabha being adjourned for the entire day.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar