"Unity Is The Way Forward" Says President Ram Nath kovind

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Ram Nath Kovind today took oath in Parliament's Central Hall today as India's 14th President and in his first address said India's unity in diversity was the key to its success.

 "We are a country of great diversity, yet have shown that unity is the way forward. 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," President Kovind said, echoing the words of his predecessor Pranab Mukherjee in his farewell speech yesterday.

 President Kovind recalled his days as a member of Parliament and said, "Often we agreed, sometimes we disagreed. But we learnt to respect each other and that is the beauty of democracy."

 The 71-year-old former lawyer became the Governor of Bihar in 2015. He is the second Dalit president after KR Narayanan.

 He is also the first President to have been a member of the BJP and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. "I am thankful to you all for giving me the responsibility to be the President of India... I come from a humble background. The journey has been long," Mr Kovind said in his address. "I will stand by and represent all 125 crore fellow Indians. I understand the massive responsibility that this is. Former Presidents, from Rajendra Prasad to Pranab Mukherjee, all have been great leaders.... I hope to live up to that greatness," he said.

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