Biden takes oath as 46th Prez of USA, calls to overcome divisions

Washington: In a historic but scaled-down ceremony under the unprecedented security umbrella of thousands of personnel, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States on Wednesday while Kamala Harris took oath as first woman Vice President. The Capitol was transformed into a fortress to prevent any breach by pro-Trump extremists.

The 78-year-old veteran Democrat leader was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice John Roberts at the West Front of the Capitol - the traditional location for presidential inaugural ceremonies where the deadly violence took place just two weeks ago.

"This is America's day..democracy has prevailed. A day in history and hope, of renewal and resolve," Biden said shortly after taking the oath, apparently referring to Trump's efforts to deny him victory in the November 3 election won by him.

"America has been tested, and we have come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again. We'll lead, not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. We'll be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress and security," Biden said. Biden calls on Americans to overcome divisions, declaring that "without unity, there is no peace".

With unity we can do great things, he said referring to the challenges ahead of him from fighting the Coronavirus to addressing racial injustice.

"Unity is the path forward," he asserted, laying out his vision to defeat the pandemic, build back better, and unify and heal the nation.

Biden asserted that he will be the president for all Americans, all those who voted for him and those who did not vote for him.

The inauguration was held under the watch of more than 25,000 National Guards, who have transformed the capital into a garrison city, mainly because of the threat of more violent protests by the supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump, who became the first president to skip his successor's inauguration since Andrew Johnson in 1869. Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence attended the ceremony.

Biden, who is the oldest president in American history, took the oath by placing his left hand on his 127-year-old family Bible, which was held by his wife, Jill Biden.

Just before Biden's oath, his deputy 56-year-old Harris was sworn in as 49th Vice President of the United States by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina member of the Supreme Court, creating history as the first female, first Black and first Indian-American vice president of the world's oldest and most powerful democracy.

The ceremony was attended by former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton. Former first ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton were also present.

Unlike the traditions in the past, wherein millions of people throng in the majestic National Mall from across the country to celebrate the peaceful transition of power, a hallmark of all mature democracies across the world, the 59th presidential inauguration was marred by a bitterly divided America.

Many world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have tweeted their congratulations to the new administration and expressed their optimism at working together.

"My warmest congratulations to Joe Biden on his assumption of office as President of the United States of America. I look forward to working with him to strengthen India-US strategic partnership," Modi said.

Meanwhile, aides said that Biden was planing to kick off his new administration with orders to restore the United States to the Paris climate accord and the World Health Organization.

Biden will sign 17 orders and actions hours after being sworn in as US leader

to break from policies of departing President Donald Trump and set new paths on immigration, the environment, fighting Covid-19 and the economy, they said.

In first-day moves, he will end Trump's much-assailed ban on visitors from several majority-Muslim countries and halt construction of the wall that Trump ordered on the US-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration. He also plans to send a bill to Congress to revamp immigration policies and give millions of undocumented migrants living in the country a path to citizenship that the Trump administration denied.