The Kerala High Court has declared invalid the oath administered to 20 BJP councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation after finding that they had invoked specific deities and martyrs while taking the oath of office, instead of adhering to the prescribed statutory format.

The Court directed the councillors to retake the oath within four weeks.

The bench of Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan passed the order on a petition filed by CPI(M) councillor S.P. Deepak, who contended that the councillors had deviated from the legally prescribed oath by invoking particular deities. The petitioner argued that elected representatives are required to either swear in the name of God or affirm allegiance to the Constitution, and that mentioning specific deities was inconsistent with the prescribed form and constitutional principles.

While invalidating the oath, the Court clarified that the councillors would continue to enjoy protection for all actions taken by them in their official capacity thus far under the provisions of the Municipalities Act. As a result, their decisions and participation in the functioning of the Corporation will not be affected.

Reacting to the judgment, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V.V. Rajesh said the Corporation would comply with the High Court’s directions and make necessary arrangements for the fresh swearing-in of the 20 councillors. He emphasized that the ruling does not result in their disqualification from office.

Addressing concerns regarding BJP councillor Sugathan, who is currently in jail, Rajesh stated that the Corporation would deal with the matter in accordance with the Court’s directions and expressed confidence that the order could be implemented within the stipulated timeframe.

The Mayor also assured that the day-to-day functioning of the Corporation, including standing committee meetings and other administrative activities, would continue without disruption.

Further, Rajesh said preliminary information indicated that some councillors outside the group of 20 may also have invoked specific deities while taking the oath. He added that the Corporation would verify those instances and, if necessary, facilitate a fresh oath-taking process for them as well.