Some North Dakota Lawmakers Abstain from Hindu Prayer

A handful of North Dakota Republican lawmakers abstained from a Hindu prayer that opened the House's floor session Tuesday, with one legislator describing his actions as a form of quiet protest.

Rep. Jeff Hoverson, R-Minot, a Lutheran pastor, sat in the back of the House chamber during Rajan Zed's prayer while other lawmakers stood at their desks. He told reporters afterward that the state's constitution "does not refer to a Hindu god. It refers to ... the one true God."

But Hoverson said he met Zed, the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism based in Reno, Nev., told him of his plans and exchanged business cards. Standing on the House floor following the afternoon floor session, he held up a cell phone photo showing the two men smiling and shaking hands.