Former chairperson of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday took oath as the 22nd Lieutenant Governor of Delhi.
In a glittering ceremony at Raj Niwas, Saxena was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court, Vipin Sanghi.
“I want to tell Delhi people that I will work as a local guardian rather than the Lieutenant Governor,” Saxena said after taking the oath.
“I will be more visible on roads than at the Raj Niwas,” he told reporters. “Having taken the oath, I want to tell every citizen of Delhi that I will not be their ‘Lieutenant Governor’; instead, I will be their ‘local guardian’. I will always be on the streets of Delhi to work for the betterment of the city,” the LG said.
“It is a harsh reality that Delhi is considered one of the most polluted cities of the world. Also, the city faces a major problem of traffic jams. With the support of Delhi Government, the Central Government and with the cooperation of each one of you, we will work to get rid of traffic jams and make Delhi free of all pollution, be it air pollution, water pollution or noise pollution. With the mantra of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas aur Sabka Vishwas” we will make Delhi the City of Joy and the City of Flowers,” the LG said.
Saxena also spoke about recent incidents of communal riots in the city and recited a poem to give a message of love and peace, asking people to let go of violence. He asked people to forget past violence and bloodshed and show the world their love for the country.
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Will turn Delhi into City of Joy: L-G
“In recent times, I saw that many riots and disturbances took place in Delhi,” he said.
“I want to say apas mein lade aur khoon bhi bahaya hai bahut par, jo kuch bhi hua hai, achha hai usse bhula do (We clashed and spilled much blood, it’s better to forget whatever happened).” He said people, irrespective of their religion, should show the world how much they love their country.
“Anything can be achieved if people are united,” he said through the poem. The LG also thanked President, Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah for entrusting him with the responsibility of the Lieutenant Governor and said he would do his best to fulfill this responsibility.
The LG further said Delhi is home to millions of people from the weaker sections. “Even the poorest of the poor, particularly those working in the unorganised sectors like potters, cobblers, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, street vendors and construction workers, live in this city. Unfortunately, these people were disconnected from the mainstream of society and were forced to live in misery.
“We will bring new schemes to empower these classes and bring them back to the mainstream,” Saxena added.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his Cabinet colleagues, Union Minister Giriraj Singh, Delhi MPs and MLAs, and top bureaucrats of the city Government attended the ceremony.
