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New Delhi : M Venkaiah Naidu, 68, was on August 11, 2017, sworn in as the 13th Vice President of India. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Naidu, 68, at the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan. NDA candidate and former Union Minister Naidu had defeated opposition candidate Gopal Krishna Gandhi by a huge margin in the vice-presidential poll on August 5, 2017. He hails from Andhra Pradesh.
PM Narendra Modi joined the members of the Rajya Sabha in welcoming Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu as Chairman of the House. The Prime Minister began his welcome remarks by recalling that August 11 was the day when a young revolutionary of the freedom struggle Khudiram Bose was hanged by the British. He said that the event reminds us of the sacrifice of those who fought for freedom and the responsibility that this places on all of us. The Prime Minister said that Venkaiah Naidu is the first Vice President born in Independent India. He said that Naidu has long experience and is well-versed in the intricacies of Parliamentary procedures, according to a PIB release.
Recalling his long association with Venkaiah Naidu, the Prime Minister said he is always sensitive to the requirements of the rural areas, the poor and farmers and his inputs on these issues have been of immense value. The Prime Minister said that the fact that people from humble, rural background, today occupy the highest positions in India, shows the maturity of Indian democracy and the strength of India’s Constitution, according to the PIB release.