NEW DELHI: The rains in Delhi today reminded him of his ‘kachcha’ home in his paternal village, President-elect Ram Nath Kovind said today and sent out the emotive message that he represented all those getting drenched or sweating it out so they could get a meal.
In his first comments after his election, Kovind, 71, who will be only the second Dalit to occupy the highest constitutional position, asserted that protecting the Constitution and maintaining its dignity would be his duty.
He said he never thought or aspired to be the president but his “tireless service” to his society and country had brought him to this position.
This sense of tireless service was an “Indian tradition” and his election as the president was a symbol of the greatness of Indian democracy, Kovind told reporters at his Akbar Road residence.
“It is a very emotional moment for me personally. It is raining a lot in Delhi today and it reminds me of days when I would stay in my paternal village. It was a ‘kachcha’ home of mud walls. The straw roof would not be able to stop water during rains. We all brothers and sisters would huddle around a wall, waiting for the rains to stop,” he said. (AGENCIES)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
