Fielding tribal woman for president’s post honour for community — Murmu

Jaipur, July 13 (PTI): NDA’s candidate Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday said it is an honour for all tribal people that a daughter from the community has been fielded in the presidential polls for the first time after the Independence.

She said that the deprived, tribals and the exploited can see themselves in her.

Murmu had come here as part of her campaign for the presidential elections. The BJP organised a felicitation programme in her honour.

Addressing BJP MPs and MLAs from Rajasthan, Murmu said, “I never thought of becoming the president but under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the NDA made me a medium and worked to bring the people of the last villages into the mainstream.”

She said, “The deprived, tribals and the exploited can see themselves in me. There is no difference between us. There is no disparity. We are hopeful, progressive and confident for building a new India.”

Murmu said making a daughter of tribal society as the candidate for the president’s post for the first time after the Independence is a “living example of respect for all tribal brothers and sisters of the country”.

She said reaching the post of the president will not be her personal achievement.

“It will not be a matter of pride for any one location, community or society. This will prove to be an example of inclusive unity in Indian society,” she said.

Murmu said when she was made the presidential candidate by the NDA and the supporting parties, she understood that it was visionary thinking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wants to bring women from the desert and forest land to the mainstream.

“A daughter of tribal society, who grew up with small dreams in Odisha, was given a way to reach the Rashtrapati Bhavan. This is a democratic dream, this is Antyodaya. This is to believe in the daughter of the village, the poor and the jungle,” she said.

Earlier, on reaching here by a special aircraft, state BJP president Satish Poonia, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Gulab Chand Kataria, Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore, Union ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal and former chief minister Vasundhara Raje welcomed her.

Murmu was welcomed in a traditional way by tribal people, MLAs, MPs from different areas of the state at the venue. Different groups of tribal people also presented folk performances near the venue to welcome Murmu.

A large number of BJP workers gathered at the airport to welcome her. The BJP has 71 MLAs in the 200-member Rajasthan assembly. The party has 24 Lok Sabha and four Rajya Sabha members from the state.