Indian-origin Kash Patel was sworn in as the ninth director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Saturday when he was seen taking the oath by placing his hand on the holy Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi administered his oath taking when Patel placed his hand on the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu scripture dated to the second or first century BCE, which forms part of the epic Mahabharata.
During the ceremony, Kash Patel’s family members were at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.
The Indian-origin lawyer succeeded Christopher Wray as the FBI Director.
Agents Respect Patel: Trump
Praising Kash Patel, US President Donald Trump said: “One of the reasons I love Kash and wanted to put him in is because of the respect the agents had for him.”
“He will go down as the best ever at that position,” he said.
Trump described Kash Patel as a ‘tough and strong guy’ who has his own opinions.
Pam Bondi Praises Patel
After administering his oath ceremony, Pam Bondi wrote on X: “Kash is extremely passionate about restoring the reputation of the FBI, and I look forward to working closely with him to end violent crime, protect our national security, and make America safe again.”
After his appointment, Kash Patel vowed to recreate the FBI into one that is ‘transparent, accountable, and committed to justice’.
“The FBI has a storied legacy—from the ‘G-Men’ to safeguarding our nation in the wake of 9/11,” Patel wrote on X.
“The American people deserve an FBI that is transparent, accountable, and committed to justice,” he said.
“The politicalization of our justice system has eroded public trust—but that ends today,” Patel said.
He said: “My mission as Director is clear: let good cops be cops—and rebuild trust in the FBI.”
Patel said he would work to rebuild the FBI into an agency that the American people can be proud of.
US Senate Votes
The US Senate voted on Thursday to confirm Indian-origin Kash Patel as FBI director, thus choosing a loyalist of President Donald Trump to head the nation’s top law enforcement agency.
According to Reuters, Patel was confirmed by a 51-49 vote.
Trump Loyalist
A Trump loyalist, Patel has championed the cause to dismantle what he refers to as the “deep state” within the government.
“Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social, his social media platform, earlier on Dec 1 last year.
(With inputs from IBNS)
