MELBOURNE: Daniel Mookhey is the first Indian-American politician to hold the position of treasurer in an Australian state. On Tuesday, Hindu Mookhey swore his allegiance to the holy Bhagavad Gita. According to Australia Today, he was sworn in alongside New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and six other ministers.
"Asserted as treasurer of the great NSW state. In a statement, Mookhey, 39, thanked the people of NSW for trusting us with this honor and privilege. Being the first minister in either a state or federal capacity in Australia to swear allegiance to the Bhagavad Gita is an incredible honor and privilege for me. "As I took my oath earlier today, I was thinking a lot about my parents, and this is only possible because Australia is so open and welcoming to the contributions of people like my parents," he stated. Mookhey was the first politician of Indian descent and the first to swear allegiance to the Bhagavad Gita when he was elected by Labour in 2015 to replace Steve Whan in the upper house of New South Wales. In 1973, Mookhey's parents moved to Australia from Punjab.