Cat, not leopard: Delhi Police on 'wild animal' at oath ceremony

The Delhi Police on Monday (10 June) clarified that the 'wild animal' spotted at the Rashtrapati Bhavan during the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was actually a common house cat.

"Some media channels and social media handles are showing an animal captured during the live telecast of the oath-taking ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan yesterday, claiming it to be a wild animal," Delhi Police said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

"These facts are not true, the animal captured on camera is a common house cat. Please don't adhere to frivolous rumours," the post stated further.

The animal, which many on social media claimed was a 'leopard,' was seen on the stairs of the Rashtrapati Bhavan behind BJP MP Durga Das Uikey, even as he was taking oath during the swearing-in function of PM Narendra Modi and his council of ministers.

While most failed to spot the feline trespasser right away, its 'blink-and-you-miss-it' appearance right behind the stage eventually got noticed, thanks to the multiple reruns of the oath-taking ceremony on TV.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created history by becoming only the second PM to serve three successive terms, following Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India. Besides Modi, as many as 71 members of his council of ministers took oath of office on Sunday evening.

In the recently-held Lok Sabha elections, the BJP emerged as the single-largest party with 240 seats in the 543-member House; however, it failed to achieve what would have been its third consecutive single-party majority. However, the BJP-led coalition, the NDA, won 293 seats, well above the majority figure of 272, and formed its government at the Centre.