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Ghulam Nabi Azad downplays NDA's Presidential nomination: Congress made Dalit president 15 years ago
"The Congress has always taken the initiative to improve the condition of the Dalits even before the country got Independence. As far as the President of India is concerned, we made a Dalit president 15 years ago; this is not the first time," Azad said.
New Delhi: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday downplayed the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) decision of naming Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind for the post of President and said it's not the first time when a person belonging to the minority community has been nominated for the top post, adding the Congress made a Dalit president 15 years ago, referring to K.R. Narayanan.
"The Congress has always taken the initiative to improve the condition of the Dalits even before the country got Independence. We even introduced the reservation quota for the upliftment of the minorities after Independence. As far as the President of India is concerned, we made a Dalit president 15 years ago; this is not the first time," Azad told.
Azad said it would have been better had the ruling party nominated someone neutral rather than a hardcore leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) like Kovind.
"We were expecting the BJP to announce the name of a neutral person. Like during the regime of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, we supported A.P.J. Abdul Kalam - not because he belonged to a minority community, but because he was neutral and didn't belong to any particular party," he said.
Further stressing on the issue, he said the political parties are not divided on the basis of religion. They have different ideologies and a neutral person would have been acceptable for all.
Also Read: Know more about Ramnath Kovind
Azad said they would meet the Opposition parties on June 22 to discuss the Centre's decision on the Presidential nominee and to take a decision on the same.
"We don't want to comment on his personality, but will talk on merit. But this is a fact that he is a hardcore BJP leader. How can one support a hardcore BJP leader? This seems a little impossible. But still till now we have not announced any name for the Presidential candidate from our side, because we had decided this in all party meeting that decision will be taken with consensus," Azad said.
Earlier on Monday, BJP president Amit Shah announced the name of Kovind as NDA's consensus candidate for the post of Indian President.
Also Read: Amit Shah- Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind has been decided as our candidate for President
The election for the next President of India is to be held on July 17 as President Pranab Mukherjee will demit the office on July 24.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued the notification in this regard and the process of the nomination has started that will continue till June 28. (With ANI inputs)