Pratibha Patil to take oath as President today

New Delhi: A string of ceremonial drills will usher in the 12th President of India, Pratibha Patil, into the country’s highest office on Wednesday.

The drill starts with the Military Secretary visiting Patil's South Avenue house to invite her to Rashtrapati Bhavan, where she will meet outgoing President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Thereafter, the two VIPs will leave for Parliament House where the Chief Justice will administer the oath of office to Patil.

The new President along with Kalam will come out of the Central Hall and Patil will receive the first national salute from the President's bodyguards.

The ceremony will be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his cabinet colleagues, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and others.

The BJP, which had sharply attacked Patil during her campaign, will also attend the ceremony. BJP leaders on Wednsday said the party considered the sanctity of the country's highest constitutional office to be more important than the person elected to the post.

Kalam on Monday wished well to Patil. "I congratulate the President-elect Pratibha Patil on this historic occasion and wish her all the best in her mission," he said addressing MPs who bade him farewell in the Central Hall of Parliament.

Kalam also recollected with appreciation the contributions made by the past Presidents, with “each one bringing his own core competence” to the Rashtrapati Bhavan.