Narendra Modi pays homage to Mahatma Gandhi, Vajpayee before swearing-in today
Narendra Modi will take oath for a record third term as the Prime Minister of India today.
With several international heads of states in attendance, including Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, among others.
Ahead of the event, he paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Sadaiv Atal in Delhi. He then went to the National War Memorial to lay a wreath there. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was spotted by Modi’s side at the War Memorial.
The swearing-in ceremony will take place at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7.15 pm, with President Droupadi Murmu administering oath to Modi and his Council of Ministers.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has received an invitation to attend the swearing-in for Modi, sources told India Today on Saturday. However, Kharge will decide whether to participate in the ceremony after consulting the INDIA bloc members, the sources added.
After being chosen as the leader of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Modi on Friday met President Murmu, who formally invited him to form the government. She fed him ‘dahi-cheeni’ (curd mixed with sugar), considered to be auspicious in Indian culture before undertaking important tasks or a new venture.
The Delhi Police has issued a traffic advisory ahead of the star-studded event, with a multiple-layer of security in place similar to when the G20 Summit was conducted in India last year. Drones, snipers, paramilitary personnel and NSG commandos will cover the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the event. Commandos from Delhi Police’s SWAT (Special Weapons And Tactics) and NSG
“Around 2,500 police personnel, including five companies of paramilitary and Delhi Armed Police (DAP) jawans, have been planned to be deployed around the venue,” an official told news agency PTI.
There will also be airspace restrictions in Delhi today from 3 pm to 11 pm due to the swearing-in ceremony, PTI reported. The restrictions will not be applicable for scheduled flights of scheduled operators, and there will also be no impact on IAF, BSF and Army aviation helicopter operations. Landing or take-off of non-scheduled flights of scheduled airlines, and chartered flights will not be permitted during the period, PTI reported, citing the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen).
OATH ITINERARY
Guests for the swearing-in ceremony will start arriving from 5 pm onwards, and the oath taking will begin at 7.15 pm. Delhi Police took out a dummy convoy on the VVIP route in Delhi earlier this morning. Special care has been taken of the security arrangements at all hotels in the national capital where the foreign guests will be staying.
Prior to the oath-taking, Narendra Modi will meet his new cabinet over tea at his residence – 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. At this meeting, Modi will brief the ministers on how they have to work in the new government.