Kathmandu, July 24: Nepal’s Supreme Court today ruled that the oath of office taken in Hindi by Vice-President Parmanand Jha a year ago was unconstitutional.

A joint bench, comprising of Chief Justice Min Bahadur Rayamajhi and Justice Balram KC, concluded that since the oath that Jha took in Hindi was unconstitutional, he must repeat it once again in the Nepali language.

The court said the Interim Constitution has clearly said that all oaths should be taken in Nepali, which is the official language. “Since the oath taken by Jha was not in accordance with the existing constitutional provisions, the Supreme Court has scrapped the same,” apex court spokesperson Hemanta Rawal said.

Jha, himself a former judge, angered Nepalis who live in the hills by taking his oath of office in Hindi. He also wore a dhoti and kurta instead of the Nepali national attire of daura suruwal.