Narendra Modi, parliamentary leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, started his tenure after his oath of office as the 16th Prime Minister of India on 30 May 2019. Several other ministers were also sworn in along with Modi. The ceremony was noted by media for being the first ever oath of office of an Indian Prime Minister to have been attended by the heads of all BIMSTEC countries.
 Narendra Modi takes the oath of office as the Prime Minister of India, with President Ram Nath Kovind administering the oath. | |
| Date | May 30, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, India 28°36′51″N 77°11′56″E / 28.6143°N 77.199°E |
| Participants | Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi Second Modi ministry Assuming office President of India, Ram Nath KovindAdministering oath |
I, (name), do swear in the name of God (or, solemnly affirm) that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, that I will uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India, that I will faithfully and conscientiously discharge my duties as a Prime Minister for the Union and that I will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, afection or ill-will.
Constitution of India, Third Schedule, Part I
I, (name), do swear in the name of God (or, solemnly affirm) that I will not directly or indirectly communicate or reveal to any person or persons any matter which shall be brought under my consideration, or shall become known to me as a Prime Minister for the Union, except as may be required for the due discharge of my duties as Prime Minister.
Constitution of India, Third Schedule, Part II
Background
editAfter the declaration of election results in May 2019, Modi met the President of India Ram Nath Kovind in May where Kovind invited Modi to form the next government. The BJP had won 303 seats and their alliance National Democratic Alliance won a total of 353 seats in the 543-seat Lok Sabha, the strongest mandate since the 1984 elections where Indian National Congress had won. The BJP then announced that Modi would be sworn in on 30 May 2019 at 7 p.m. For the first time in India, a non-Congress government was re-elected.
Invitees
editAlong with Mauritius and Kyrgyzstan, all the countries in BIMSTEC were invited distinct from invitation to SAARC countries in first ceremony.[1] Over 8,000 Indian and international guests including various politicians, diplomats, government officials, constitutional authorities and heads of the states were invited.[2]
.svg)
International dignitaries
editEight foreign leaders attended Prime Minister Modi's oath of office ceremony.
Bangladesh -Abdul Hamid, President of Bangladesh attended the ceremony on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and reiterated the importance of strengthening bilateral ties.[3]
Bhutan - Prime Minister Lotay Tshering attended the ceremony on behalf of Bhutan.[4]
Kyrgyzstan - President Sooronbay Jeenbekov as representative and guest from Kyrgyz Republic. The leader reiterated his invitation to Modi for SCO summit which is due to be held in Kyrgyzstan.[5]
Mauritius - Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth as the guest from Mauritius.[6]
Myanmar - Myanmar President Win Myint attended the ceremony on behalf of state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi who was on her visit to Europe. Raveesh Kumar, spokesperson of Indian external ministry described Myanmar as a "pillar" of India's Act East policy.[7]
Nepal - Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli attended ceremony. Oli conveyed invitation extended by President Bidya Devi Bhandari to Indian President Ram Nath Kovind.[8]
Sri Lanka - Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena attended the ceremony and invited Narendra Modi to visit Sri Lanka in June. Visit is scheduled between June 7 and 9.[9]
Thailand - Special envoy Grisada Boonrach attended the ceremony as representative and guest from Thailand.[10]
National dignitaries
editChief Ministers of all the Indian states were listed among invitees. However, Navin Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh and Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh were unable to attend ceremony. Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal rejected the invitation.[11] Besides that, various opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Ministers were invited. A number of Indian businessmen, sportsmen and film artists also made it into the list of guests invited.
Families of BJP workers who were left dead in violence by TMC in West Bengal were also invited to the ceremony. Many religious leaders belonging to all major religions were also invited.
Reactions
edit
Pakistan - Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan congratulated Narendra Modi just after exit polls. Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and various Pakistani media outlets accused Modi of pursuing anti Pakistan policy for political gains for not inviting Pakistani head of the state to ceremony.[12]
United Arab Emirates - The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) marked the occasion by lighting up the ADNOC Headquarters in Abu Dhabi with the colors of the Indian and UAE flags and portraits of Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.[13][14][15][16]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "High-profile world leaders to attend PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony. A look at guest list", India Today, 29 May 2019
- ^ "Modi Swearing-in Highlights: New team blend of youthful energy, experience: PM". LiveMint. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "President Abdul Hamid to Modi: Bangladesh waiting to see Teesta issue resolved". Dhaka Tribune. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2019.
- ^ "PM Narendra Modi holds bilateral meetings with Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering". Orissa Diary. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "After taking oath, PM Modi holds bilateral talks with Kyrgyzstan President Sooronbay Jeenbekov". The Free Press Journal. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Mauritius PM arrives in Delhi to attend Modi's swearing-in ceremony". Asian News International. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Myanmar Prez reaches Delhi to attend Modi's swearing-in". Business Standard. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Modi accepts Oli's invite to visit Nepal". The Himalayan Times. 1 June 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Sri Lanka President, Indian PM commit to closer bilateral cooperation for peace and security". Colombo Page. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Grisada Boonrach, Special Envoy of the Kingdom of Thailand arrives in New Delhi for attending swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister". Ministry of External Affairs. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
- ^ "Complete guest list of PM Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony". India Today. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Qureshi makes light of no invitation for PM to Modi's oath-taking". The Dawn. 28 May 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Video: ADNOC marks Modi's inauguration as Prime Minister of India". Khaleej Times. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "Watch: Abu Dhabi celebrates PM Modi swearing-in, lights up Adnoc tower in tricolour". India Today. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "UAE govt marks Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony by lighting up iconic ADNOC building with tricolour, PM's potrait [sic]". Firstpost. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ^ "'Now this is true friendship!' Here's how UAE celebrated PM Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony | India News". Times Now. Retrieved 31 May 2019.