Bilaspur Mayor mistakenly vows to uphold 'Communalism' in major blunder at oath event (WATCH)

BJP's Puja Vidhani, the newly-elected Mayor of Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur had a slip of tongue during the swearing-in ceremony as she accidently pledged to uphold "communalism" instead of "sovereignty", leaving her embarrassed and triggering a political storm.

"I, Puja Vidhani, pledge true allegiance and loyalty to the Constitution of India. I will uphold the ‘sampradayikta' (communalism) and integrity of India," she declared, seemingly unaware of the grave mistake. What she was supposed to have recited was "samprabhuta," the word for "sovereignty."

The slip was quickly noticed by those on stage, and a viral video captured the moment of confusion, as officials rushed to correct her. With the mistake now glaring, Vidhani was asked to retake the oath, which she did without incident the second time, reciting the correct wording.

The entire exchange unfolded at the Mungeli Naka Ground, where the ceremony was held in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao and Union Minister of State for Urban Development Tokhan Sahu.

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The oath-taking ceremony was followed by a ritual involving Gangajal, after which Vidhani offered prayers before officially assuming her seat as mayor. However, the slip of the tongue did not go unnoticed, with the opposition quick to pounce on the incident.

Congress has criticized Vidhani's blunder, labeling it as part of "BJP's drama" and accusing the party of trying to mislead the public with such an obvious slip.

A former leader of opposition in the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation, Vidhani was first elected as a corporator in 1998. Over the years, she has held significant positions within the BJP, including twice serving as the state general secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha and as the state president of the women's wing.

As Bilaspur's 12th mayor, Vidhani also marks a historic moment as the second woman to hold the post, following in the footsteps of Vani Rao, who occupied the position a decade ago. Under Vidhani's leadership, BJP secured a decisive victory in the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation elections, winning 49 of the 70 wards, while Congress claimed only 18.

Three wards were secured by independent candidates.

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