'It Pays Homage To All Indian Languages': New Zealand MP Dr Gaurav Sharma Takes Oath In Sanskrit

Sharma a Member of Parliament from Hamilton West hails from Himachal Pradesh in India. He took his oath first in New Zealand's native Maori language and then Sanskrit.

Member of New Zealand's Labour Party, Sharma will be part of the ruling government led by Jacinda Arden.

Sharma's actions though did not go down with a section of social media users, one of whom - a New Zealand journalist called Sanskrit an "oppressive" language.

He added that he had studied Sanskrit as a child in rural India and went on to state that him taking oath in Sanskrit was a means to pay homage to all the Indian languages.