From correspondents in Delhi, India, 07:01 PM IST

Shashi Tharoor's impeccable public school English accent stood out amid a babel of tongues in which MPS took oath. The Congress MP from Thiruvanathapuram and now minister of state for external affairs, Tharoor was sporting a tricolour angavastaram and a 'veshti', the traditional Kerala attire, but his accent reminded many of the jet-setting international diplomat he was before taking the plunge into domestic politics.

Tharoor's youthful appeal also cut across party lines. Not just Sonia Gandhi and her colleagues, but BJP leader L.K. Advani, Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav and former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav too stood up to shake hands with him.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)