President Ram Nath Kovind will address the nation on Sunday as his term as the 14th president of India comes to an end. Kovind was only the second Dalit President of India to serve in the role. His successor - Droupadi Murmu - is set to take oath as India's first tribal woman president on Monday.
The address to the nation on Saturday will be broadcast at 7 pm on national networks.
On Saturday, President Kovind delivered an emotional farewell speech in parliament where Prime Minister Narendra Modi among other MPs were in attendance. He thanked the nation for getting an opportunity to serve as the country's President. "What the Almighty had wanted me to accomplish could not have been accomplished without the support from all the elected representatives," he said as he thanked PM Modi and others for their support during his tenure.
He also invoked Mahatma Gandhi and called for MPs to resolve differences amicably. His comments assume significance at a time when parliamentary proceedings have been disrupted due to the opposition protests over various issues.
"Citizens and political parties have many constitutional avenues open to them, including protests. After all, the Father of our Nation employed the weapon of Satyagraha for that purpose. But he was equally concerned about the other side. Citizens have a right to protest to press for their demands, but it should always be in the peaceful Gandhian mould," a government statement quoted him as saying.
{{/usCountry}}"Citizens and political parties have many constitutional avenues open to them, including protests. After all, the Father of our Nation employed the weapon of Satyagraha for that purpose. But he was equally concerned about the other side. Citizens have a right to protest to press for their demands, but it should always be in the peaceful Gandhian mould," a government statement quoted him as saying.
{{/usCountry}}Visuals showed parliamentarians - including Lok Sabha speaker Om Prakash Birla - bidding farewell to President Kovind. The farewell speech in parliament comes a day after PM Modi hosted a dinner for President Kovind at his residence.
Droupadi Murmu won the presidential polls on Thursday after defeating the opposition's candidate and former union minister Yashwant Sinha. She will take oath at the Central Hall of Parliament on Monday