M V Naidu to be sworn in as India's 13th Vice-President today
Naidu, 68, will be administered the oath by President Ram Nath Kovind.
He was elected as the 13th Vice-President of India after defeating former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi in the Vice-Presidential vote on Aug 8.
Following his victory, Naidu was quoted in the media as saying, "I am very humbled. I am also thankful to the Prime Minister and all party leaders for their support. I will seek to utilise the vice-presidential institution to strengthen the hands of the president and secondly uphold the dignity of the Upper House."
Due to take oath, the Vice-President elect has already hit the headlines when he challenged the views of his predecessor Hamid Ansari on Thursday.
Ansari, who officially ended his span as the Vice-President of India, had told The Indian Express that Indian minorities, especially the Muslims are experiencing 'a sense of uneasiness and insecurity'.
Challenging that statement, Naidu said, "Compared to the entire world, minorities are more safe and secure in India and they get their due."
He was quoted as saying by ANI news agency that India is also the most secular and tolerant nation in the world.
"Indian ethos is of mutual respect for each other. People try to use minority issues for political purposes," the Vice-President elect said. "India is the most tolerant country…Unfortunately, some people are trying to blow it out of proportion and trying to defame India, raising it to national forum."
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