Despite heavy rains lashing the national Capital, the oath-taking ceremony of Ram Nath Kovind, India’s 14th President, was held amid full grandeur on Tuesday. He was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar at a special function in the Parliament.
Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and senior members of the Cabinet were present in the Parliament.
Former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, veteran BJP leader LK Advani, BJP Chief Amit Shah, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, and leaders of other parties, MPs and other distinguished people from different walks of life were also present on the occasion.
As Kovind switched his seat with Mukherjee soon after taking the oath to become the second Dalit President after K R Narayanan, a 21-gun salute roared in the Parliament House complex. Notwithstanding the spectacle associated with the ceremony, Kovind signed the register brought to him by Cabinet Secretary Pradeep Kumar Sinha and outgoing President’s Secretary Omita Paul with full humility and composure.
His first speech, however, attracted controversy, with the Opposition Congress alleging that he ignored many freedom fighters, such as Jawaharlal Nehru, and other Congress icons. Party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “This is very sad and unfortunate that he took Nehru’s Cabinet ministers’ names in his speech, but did not mention the name of Nehruji, who was a freedom fighter and the first PM of the country. The President should remember that he is not a BJP candidate anymore. He is a candidate of India. He has to protect the Constitution of India and rise above and think beyond party politics.”
Another Congress leader, Anand Sharma, said Kovind disrespected history by equating father of the nation with Deen Dayal Upadhyay. In his prepared text, Kovind mentioned Mahatma Gandhi twice and recalled the contributions of Sardar Patel, Bhim Rao Ambedkar, and RSS icon Deen Dayal Upadhyay.
“We need to sculpt a robust, high-growth economy, an educated, ethical, and shared community, and an egalitarian society, as envisioned by Mahatma Gandhi and Deen Dayal Upadhyayji,” the President said in his speech.Reacting to the Congress criticism, Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said the President’s inaugural speech was inclusive and pressurising him to take Nehru’s name was an attempt to demean him.
Kovind, who served as the 35th Governor of Bihar, had been an active BJP worker since 1991. He served as the President of the BJP Dalit Morcha between 1998 and 2002 and was also a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Meanwhile, some 25 members of Kovind’s extended family and friends had come all the way from Kanpur to attend the ceremony. “This is the first time that we are entering the Parliament. It is a proud moment for us. All of Uttar Pradesh is happy,” said Kovind’s nephew Deepak.
