Panchayat oath ceremony in MP: Husbands take the place of elected wives

Madhya Pradesh: In a bizarre move, husbands of newly elected women officials allegedly took their place in the oath ceremony of office. The incident was reported in Gaisabad panchayat in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district.

The elected sarpanch and other women were to take the oath of office and secrecy. But, the swearing-in ceremony has become controversial.

In the three-tier election of Gaisabad Panchayat, a woman of scheduled class and elevan other women sarpanches were chosen by the people. However, their husbands presented themselves at the time of oath-taking, reported ANI.

The district authorities have sought a detailed report.

Ajay Srivastava, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Damoh Panchayat, told the media that the incident appears to be against the rules and strict action will be taken against those who are found guilty.

He said the administration has received information that some men had taken oaths instead of their elected wives. "We have ordered a detailed report on the matter, once the report comes out, the Panchayat secretary will be punished (if guilty)."

Some claimed that the elected women representatives were missing from the event and a concerned official allowed their husbands to be present in their place.

A Twitter user alleged that male kin of these elected women were also among those who took oath. He tagged the collector in the viral video.