Arjun Ram Meghwal and Ramdas Athawale, who were inducted as ministers of state today, came wearing headgears to Rashtrapati Bhawan for the swearing-in ceremony.
While Meghwal, BJP’s chief whip in Lok Sabha, always wears a colourful turban, RPI leader Athawale wore a navy blue headgear for the ceremony. Both took oath in Hindi, with the RPI leader ending his oath with “Jai Bhim (B R Ambedkar), Jai Bharat” slogan.
BJP leader S S Ahluwalia, after taking oath, touched the feet of President Pranab Mukherjee. When Mukherjee was the Finance Minister in the UPA government, Ahluwalia and current Finance Minister Arun Jaitley used to regularly meet him on a variety of issues during Parliament sessions.
While most of the new ministers took oath in Hindi, M J Akbar and Ramesh Jigajinagi preferred English. Jaswant Sinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor took oath in Gujarati.
All those who took oath did not go up to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah for a customary shake hand. They wished the two with folded hands from the dais.
Mansukhbhai Mandavia, who along with Meghwal took oath as minister, came in a bicycle to Parliament during sessions.
There was no representation from the opposition parties at the 40-minute long ceremony at Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Besides the Prime Minister, other prominent people who attended the ceremony were Vice President Hamid Ansari and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien.