Droupadi Murmu on Monday took oath as the 15th President of India, succeeding Ram Nath Kovind. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana administered the oath of office of the highest constitutional post of the country to Murmu at the Central Hall of Parliament.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

The oath ceremony was followed by a 21-gun salute. After the gun salute, she addressed the gathering at the Central Hall as the 15th President of India.

She said that her election to the top constitutional post proves that in India, the poor can not only dream but also fulfil those aspirations. Murmu thanked all MPs and MLAs for electing her.

"I have been elected during an important time when the country is marking 75 years of Independence," she noted. "Reaching this office is not my personal achievement but that of all the poor people in the country."

"My election is proof of the fact that in India, the poor can dream and also fulfil those dreams," she said.

It is the power of India's democracy that a girl born in a poor tribal home could reach the topmost constitutional post, Murmu added.

The President also stressed on speeding up efforts to meet the expectations that the freedom fighters had from the citizens of independent India.

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Earlier this morning, Murmu paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, father of the nation, at Raj Ghat.

Droupadi Murmu, the NDA nominee who won the election to become the 15th President of India, bagged 2,824 first preference votes, the value of which stood at 6,76,803. The cut-off mark for victory was was 5,28,491. Joint Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha managed 1,877 votes with a value of 3,80,177.