Barrister Varun Ghosh made history by becoming the first Indian-origin Australian Member of Parliament to take the oath on the Bhagavad Gita. The Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council have elected Varun Ghosh from Western Australia to represent Australia in the Upper House of Parliament, making him the newest member of the Senate, ANI reported.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed Mr Ghosh and wrote of X: “Welcome to Varun Ghosh, the new senator from Western Australia. Senator Ghosh is the first Australian senator to take the oath on the Bhagavad Gita. I have often said, If you're first, you have to make sure you're not last.'' (Also read: Australian minister says planned legislation aims to curb unpaid overtime)
She added: “I know that Senator Ghosh will be a strong advocate for the community and the people of Western Australia.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also tweeted: “Welcome our new Western Australian senator, Varun Ghosh. Great to have him on the team.”
“The Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council have elected Senator Varun Ghosh to represent Western Australia in the Upper House of Parliament,” the Western Australian Legislative Assembly announced.
Varun Ghosh is a Perth-based lawyer who immigrated from India when he was 17 years old. He holds degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Western Australia and was a Commonwealth Scholar in Law at the University of Cambridge. He has previously held positions as a consultant for the World Bank in Washington, DC, and as a financial lawyer in New York. According to a report by ANI, his political career began in Perth when he joined the Australian Labor Party.
“I have been privileged to receive a good education and I strongly believe that quality education and training should be available to everyone,” Varun Ghosh said in a statement to ANI.
In the 2019 federal election, Ghosh came fifth in the Australian Labor Party's Senate seat in Western Australia, but was not elected.
(With input from ANI.)
