- “It is an honour to be the President of India,” Ram Nath Kovind says in first official address after taking oath
- Ram Nath Kovind takes oath as the 14th President of India in the Central Hall of Parliament
- Before heading to Parliament for swearing in, Kovind pays homage at Rajghat to Mahatma Gandhi
- Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have been adjourned for Kovind’s oath-taking ceremony
Making history as the first occupant of Rashtrapati Bhavan from the BJP, President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday pledged to always follow the basic mantra of the Constitution to ensure justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.
Elected to the highest constitutional office last week, Kovind was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar at a brief but glittering ceremony in the Central Hall of Parliament before a gathering of MPs, Chief Ministers and diplomats.
Taking oath in the name of God, Kovind pledged to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the law" and devoted himself to the services and well-being of the people of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ministers, opposition leaders including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda attended the event.
Elaborate Ceremony Starts with a Gentle Knock
The elaborate ceremony for change of guard in India's highest Constitutional office started on Tuesday with a gentle knock on the door of President-elect Ram Nath Kovind's Akbar Road residence.
It was Military Secretary to the President, Major General Anil Khosla, inviting 71-year old Kovind and his wife Savita to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Pranab Mukherjee was waiting for them in the study.
The two leaders then went to the grand Rashtrapai Bhavan forecourt where they were escorted to the saluting dais.
Mukherjee took the last salute of the President's Bodyguard with President-elect Kovind standing to his left.
He and his successor then drove down Raisina Hill to the Central Hall of the Parliament in a black limousine. Escorting them was grand equestrian procession by the PBG, dressed in white ceremonial uniforms and blue turbans with gold ornamental work.
The road from Rashtrapati Bhavan to Parliament was lined with jawans of the armed forces.
The morning began with the president-elect offering floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat.
Kovind Delivers His First Presidential Address
In his first address after being sworn in as the 14th President of India, Ram Nath Kovind said:
I am honoured to be the President of India. I perform this massive responsibility with humility. I feel privileged to walk on the same path as Dr Radhakrishnan, Dr Abdul Kalam and Pranab da. My journey has been long and arduous, but it has not just been my journey but the journey of India as a country.
He further said:
Coming into Central hall has brought back so many memories. I have had discussions with many of you. Sometimes we have agreed, often we have disagreed but we have respected each other. This is democracy... this is the India of our dreams that will provide equal opportunity.
Praising India’s democracy, Kovind said:
We are a country of great diversity, yet have shown that unity is the way forward. We are different yet the same. We are a peaceful nation and are now at a stage where we have to take the country forward... We are proud of our heritage and culture. It is now time we show the world what India is capable of.
Ram Nath Kovind greets the Indian ministers, parliamentarians and members of opposition as the new President of India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweets his congratulations to President Kovind after the oath-taking ceremony.