Kash Patel was sworn in as the ninth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Friday, 21 February 2025, taking his oath on the sacred Hindu text, the Bhagavad Gita. The ceremony took place at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where Patel was administered the oath by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, following his confirmation by the US Senate. He succeeds Christopher Wray in the role.
Patel’s family and girlfriend were present at the event, marking a historic moment for the Indian American community. He is not the first Indian American to take the oath on the Gita—Congressman Suhas Subramanyam had previously done the same.
Calling his appointment the “greatest honor” of his life, Patel emphasized the significance of the moment. He also reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring accountability within and beyond the FBI, pledging to uphold integrity and transparency in his leadership.
#WATCH | Washington | Kash Patel takes oath on the Bhagavad Gita, as the 9th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Source: US Network Pool via Reuters pic.twitter.com/c5Jr0ul1Jm
— ANI (@ANI) February 21, 2025
Quoting this development, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram called it “practically unthinkable” in India. On his official X handle, he wrote, “It’s a testimony to the U.S. Constitution that a person belonging to an ethnic & religious minority grouping can become the Director of the @FBI. Practically unthinkable here in India under the present political dispensation.”
It’s a testimony to the U.S. Constitution that a person belonging to an ethnic & religious minority grouping can become the Director of the @FBI. Practically unthinkable here in India under the present political dispensation. https://t.co/r7BwS7IxiY
— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) February 22, 2025
Is Karti Chidambaram Right?
Well, he isn’t. Let’s go down memory lane and help jog Karti’s memory a bit.
Muslim President
For starters, we’ve had Dr APJ Abdul Kalam as India’s President from the minority Muslim community. Additionally, it was the Congress who did not support a second term as President for Kalam.
Dalit President
KR Narayanan was India’s first Dalit vice-president in 1992 and India’s first Dalit Christian president in 1997 in independent India’s history.
Ramnath Kovind was India’s second Dalit president from 2017 to 2022 under the NDA.
Tribal President
Draupadi Murmu, India’s first tribal president, was backed by the NDA while the Congress, that Karti Chidambaram belongs to and speaks about diversity, had backed a higher caste candidate, Yashwant Sinha! Murmu became the President in 2022 during the NDA 2.0
Sikh PM Guided By Roman Catholic Party Chief
Dr Manmohan Singh, a Sikh, was the Prime Minister of India for 10 long years from 2004-2014. He was ‘guided‘ by a Roman Catholic extra-constitutional authority of Italian origin who was also the chief of the Congress party then.
Christian R&AW Chief
P. K. Hormis Tharakan, a 1968-batch IPS officer from Kerala, served as the chief of India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW, from February 2005 to January 2007, succeeding C. D. Sahay. He was also the Director General of Kerala Police. In 2008, he advised the Karnataka governor during the President’s rule before state elections. Additionally, he was a member of the National Security Council and served as Chief Advisor of Strategic Affairs. His extensive experience in intelligence and security made him a key figure in India’s national security landscape. Tharakan is a title of a Syrian Christian family, said to have been given to Hormis Tharakan’s family by Travancore Maharaja Marthanda Varma.
Muslim IB Chief
Syed Asif Ibrahim was the former Director of the Intelligence Bureau in India. He served in this role from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2014, becoming the first Muslim to hold the position. A 1977-batch IPS officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, he later took on a diplomatic role. In June 2015, he was appointed as the Indian Prime Minister’s special envoy for “Countering Terrorism and Extremism,” tasked with coordinating efforts with governments in West Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan on security-related matters.
Cabinet Ministers Of Minority Origin
Under the NDA, two prominent names of Cabinet ministers can be mentioned who held important portfolios.
Najma Heptullah was a member of the Rajya Sabha for six terms between 1980 and 2016 and held the position of Deputy Chairman for 16 years while associated with the Congress party. In 2012, she joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a vice-president and later served as a minister in Narendra Modi’s first government from 2014 to 2016. Heptulla was appointed as the 16th Governor of Manipur, holding office from 2016 to 2021.
George Fernandes served as India’s Defence Minister from 1998 to 2004 under Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A veteran socialist, he was a key figure in multiple parties, including the Samata Party, and was elected to the Lok Sabha nine times between 1967 and 2004. As Defence Minister, he oversaw India’s nuclear tests at Pokhran and the Kargil War. A strong opponent of the Emergency (1975–77), he was jailed in the Baroda dynamite case. Fernandes also held key ministerial portfolios, including industries and railways.
These are just a few examples of minorities in India who have held key positions in the Indian bureaucracy.
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