Seven neighbourhood leaders to attend Modi’s swearing-in ceremony

A host of heads of government from neighbouring countries will attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as prime minister for a third consecutive term on Sunday (June 9) evening.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has already arrived in New Delhi to attend the ceremony.

India on Friday formally announced that the leaders of seven countries from the neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region will attend the ceremony.

The guests

Among them are Sri Lankan president Ranil Wickremesinghe, Maldives’ Mohamed Muizzu, Bhutan’s Tshering Tobgay, Nepal’s Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, and Mauritius’ Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, barring Hasina. Seychelles’ Vice President Ahmed Afif will also attend the ceremony.

Afif is scheduled to reach the national capital on Saturday. The other leaders will arrive on Sunday.

“In addition to participating in the swearing-in ceremony, the leaders will attend a Banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the same evening,” said an official statement.

Neighbours first

It added that the visit of the leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony is in keeping with the highest priority accorded by India to its “Neighbourhood First” policy and “SAGAR” vision.

India has been cooperating with the countries of the Indian Ocean region under the broader policy framework of SAGAR or Security and Growth for all in the Region.

Modi and his Council of Ministers will be sworn in by Murmu following the ruling National Democratic Alliance’s victory in a keenly contested Lok Sabha election in which the Opposition INDIA bloc performed better than expectations.

Meetings with visitors

The swearing-in ceremony is slated to take place at 7:15 pm on Sunday at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Modi is also expected to hold separate meetings with the visiting leaders.

The invitation to Muizzu assumed significance as it came amid frosty ties between India and the Maldives. The ties between India and the Maldives have been under severe strain since November last year when Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge as Maldivian president.

Within hours of taking oath, he demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. The Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians earlier this month.

(With agency inputs)