Indian-origin doctor Leo Varadkar becomes Ireland’s first gay prime minister

"When my father travelled 5,000 miles to build a new home in Ireland, I doubt he ever dreamed his son would grow up to be its leader," Vardkar said.

By: PTI
London | June 14, 2017 09:22 PM IST

1 min read

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FILE PHOTO: Ireland's Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar launches his campaign bid for Fine Gael party leader in Dublin, Ireland May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne/File Photo

Leo Varadkar, a 38-year-old Indian-origin doctor, on Wednesday scripted history by becoming Ireland’s youngest and first openly gay prime minister in the Catholic-majority country. Varadkar, officially took over as Taoiseach, as the Irish prime ministerial title is known in Ireland, after a parliamentary vote confirmed him as the leader by 57 votes to 50, with 47 abstentions. The former general physician, who is the son of an Irish nurse and a doctor from India, won the Fine Gael party leadership earlier this month. He has made his leadership rival Simon Coveney the deputy leader of the party.

After the win, Varadkar had said, “If my election shows anything it’s that prejudice has no hold in this Republic.”