International guests have started arriving to attend the oath taking ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers.
Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth arrived here on Thursday morning.
“Neighbour across the Ocean. PM of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth arrives in India for the swearing-in ceremony of PM Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers,” MEA spokesman Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
Prime Minister Jugnauth had visited India in January this year as the Chief Guest at the Prabasi Diwas Celebration in Varanasi as well.
President of Bangladesh Md. Abdul Hamid has arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening to attend Mr Modi’s swearing in ceremony to be held here in the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises on Thursday evening.
“First esteemed guest to arrive! President of Bangladesh, Md. Abdul Hamid arrives in the capital to participate in the oath taking ceremony of PM Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers,” MEA spokesman tweeted.
Prime Minister has invited BIMSTEC nation and government heads for the solemn occasion.
The swearing in ceremony will be held in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan and is likely to be attended by about 8000 guests – almost double the number than that of 2014 ceremony.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party leader in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad with attend the swearing-in ceremony.
However, most Congress CMs, as also other opposition leaders, could stay away from the glitzy swearing-in ceremony.
In a quick turn of events, maverick West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reversed her earlier announcement and said she will not be attending the swearing-in ceremony.
Ms Banerjee, who was locked into a bitter one-on-one confrontation with Mr Modi during elections, congratulated the Prime Minister. However in a tweet she wrote ‘It was my plan to accept the ‘Constitutional invitation’ and attend the oath-taking ceremony. However, in the last one hour, I am seeing media reports that the BJP are claiming 54 people have been murdered in political violence in Bengal. This is completely untrue. There have been no political murders in Bengal.’
In a major political message over the ‘violence’ in the Trinamool Congress-ruled state, the family members of 54 BJP workers, who were ‘killed in political violence’ in West Bengal have been invited for the swearing-in of Modi for his second term.
According to senior BJP leader Mukul Roy, the saffron outfit has booked their train tickets and informed them about the invitation.
“It is a gesture of showing respect to our martyrs and party workers who died while working for the party during the violence unleashed by Trinamool Congress,” he said.
Several film stars and business honchos too have been invited. Guests attending the oath taking ceremony will be treated to high tea.
Later in the evening President Ram Nath Kovind is likely to host dinner for BIMSTEC nation heads and top leaders.
Elaborate security arrangements have been made and Delhi Traffic police have issued an advisory stating about restrictions and traffic regulation after 1600 hours.
The government offices located in the vicinity of the Rashtrapati Bhavan would be closed early at 1400 hrs.
‘In connection with arrangements for the swearing in ceremony of the newly elected Prime Minister on May 30, it has been decided that the Government offices located in the North Block, South Block, Rail Bhawan, Vayu Bhawan, Sena Bhawan, DRDO and Hutments would be closed early at 1400 hours on May 30,’ an official statement said on Wednesday.
