Pranab Mukherjee Sworn-In As 13th President

 The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee with the outgoing President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil on his way to Rashtrapati Bhavan riding traditional “Buggi” after the swearing-in ceremony, in New Delhi on July 25, 2012. Photo © PIB

NEW DELHI (NNN-PTI)-- Pranab Mukherjee was sworn in Wednesday as the country's 13th President at an impressive ceremony in the packed and historic Central Hall of Parliament.

Chief Justice of India S H Kapadia administered the oath of office to Mukherjee in the presence of Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Ministers, Governors and a host of dignitaries.

Mukherjee took the oath of office in the name of God in English to “preserve, protect and defend the constitution and the law”.

Mukherjee was then given a 21-gun salute after which he signed the oath register amid a thunderous applause and thumping of desks.

‘Hunger is a humiliation’

In his brief acceptance address, he said the principal responsibility of his office is to function as the guardian of the Constitution.

“I will strive to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution not just in words but in spirit,” Mukherjee said.

He also said word poverty should be eliminated from the dictionary of modern India but felt trickle down theory would not work. He said hunger is a humiliation for the mankind.

Referring to the change of equations post Cold War, he said the world was in the midst of fourth World War, fighting terror of which India had the early experience.

Mukherjee ended his speech saying “there can be no greater reward for a public servant than becoming the First Citizen of the country”.

Pays homage to leaders

Earlier Mukherjee paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi and other great leaders of the nation at their memorials in New Delhi before heading to Rashtrapati Bhawan to take oath as the 13th President of India.

Travelling in a Mercedes Benz S 600, Mukherjee first visited Rajghat to pay homage to the Father of the Nation. He then paid respect to Rajiv Gandhi at Veer Bhumi. Mukherjee also paid homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at her memorial Shakti Sthal. Later, he went to the memorial of Lal Bahadur Shastri. --NNN-PTI