New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday took oath as the 14th President of India with Chief Justice J.S. Khehar administering the oath of office in Parliament's Central Hall. In his maiden speech as President of India, Kovind said that he is accepting this position with all humility and is grateful for this responsibility.
Here are the highlights from his maiden speech:
-I bow to the 125 crore citizens of this great nation and promise to stay true to the trust they have bestowed on me: President Kovind.
- I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr.Radhakrishnan, Dr. Abdul Kalam and Pranab da, says Kovind.
-Reminiscing his past, Kovind said,"I come from a mud hut in a rural village, will be carrying out my responsibilities will all humility."
-"I had discussions with many of you in this central hall. Amid agreements and disagreements we learnt to respect each others' views and this is the beauty of Democracy", Kovind asserted.
-Speaking about the cultural diversity, Kovind said, “We are now in the second half of the 21st century. We are proud of India’s diversity, heritage, development, and all its citizens.” "India is full of variety. We are all very different but we are one."
-As India will celebrate 72 years of Independence, we must ensure that daughters of the poorest of the poor family should be getting all benefits of development, says the President of India.
-We need to build an India that is an economic leader as well as a moral exemplar, says Kovind.
-Our Independence was the result of efforts by thousands of patriotic freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi, Kovind said.
-"Each citizen of India is a nation builder. The armed forces that protect our borders and keep us safe are nation builders. Those police and paramilitary forces that fight terrorism and crime are the nation builder," Kovind said.
-"We are different but we are one and united. These are the traditional values and there is no contradiction or alternative opinion about it," said the new President.
Soon after the swearing-in ceremony, Kovind exchanged the chair with Mukherjee to take over the top constitutional post of India - as the head of the state and supreme commander of the Indian Armed forces.
Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Union Ministers, Governors, Chief Ministers, Ambassadors and other diplomats, MPs and senior civil and military officers attended the grand ceremony. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das and many other senior leaders also graced the event. Kovind, former Bihar Governor, is the second Dalit President of India after K.R. Narayanan.
