New Delhi: As Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay arrived in New Delhi to attend Indian PM-designate Narendra Modi's oath-taking ceremony on Sunday, he lauded the Indian leader's leadership, that saw unprecedented development in infrastructure - airports, roads, rails and seaways - in the 10 years. Tobgay called foreign policy the biggest accomplishments of PM Modi's leadership.
Tobgay expressed happiness at being invited at Modi's swearing-in ceremony as he landed in the national capital and was warmly welcomed at the airport by Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (West) Pavan Kapoor. PM Tobgay is among the distinguished guests set to attend the highly anticipated ceremony in which Narendra Modi will be sworn in as the Prime Minister of India for a historic third consecutive time.
Speaking to news agency ANI, the Bhutanese leader said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) enjoy the confidence and trust of the people, which reflects their performance. "Well, to look forward, you look backwards and you see the last 10 years. During the last 10 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's leadership, India has grown spectacularly. The development has been unprecedented - airports, roads, rails, seaways, IT, all of that growth has been spectacular," he said.
"To see what's going to happen in Modi 3.0 and then Modi 3.0, you just have to look back to see what has happened and one of the biggest accomplishments has also been foreign policy, whether it is the immediate region and Neighbourhood First Policy or even the successful outcome of the G20 under India's chairmanship or beyond also. So I can see a lot more growth. I can see a lot more economic growth. I can see a lot more foreign policy successes under Modi 3.0," he added.
'Delighted to be back in India': Tobgay
Notably, PM Modi went on an official two-day visit to Bhutan in March, nearly a month before the 18th Lok Sabha elections, when the Model Code of Conduct was in effect. This visit came three days after Tobgay’s visit to New Delhi from March 14–18. PM Modi also received the prestigious Order of the Druk Gyalpo, Bhutan's highest civilian award, making him the first non-Bhutanese to be conferred with the honour.
"Well, I'm delighted to be in India. I'm delighted to be back so soon after my last visit here. That was barely three months ago. This is indeed a very big day for India and I'm honoured to be here representing His Majesty the King and the people of Bhutan at the swearing-in of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and that too for his third consecutive time," Tobgay said while congratulating India for the successful outcome of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Stressing that the ties between India and Bhutan will get stronger, Tobgay said, "Well, the ties between our two countries are very strong. I think it's going to get stronger. And it will get stronger simply because at the highest levels in Bhutan, under the enlightened leadership of our monarchs, His Majesty the King, and in India, from the President to the Prime Minister, to many of the leaders and the regard for our two respective countries is very strong and it is only growing."
Foreign leaders at PM Modi's swearing-in event
With BJP bagging 240 seats and the National Democratic Alliance securing 293 seats out of 543 Lok Sabha seat, PM Modi is set for a third consecutive term as Prime Minister of India, with the BJP-led NDA emerging victorious in the parliamentary elections. Several leaders and heads of countries in the neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) have been invited for his swearing-in ceremony as distinguished guests, under India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy.
Earlier, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, accompanied by a high-level Maldivian delegation, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday morning to attend the swearing-in ceremony of PM-designate Modi. Maldivian officials in Male confirmed that Muizzu, along with the country's foreign minister and a couple of other leaders, would be travelling to New Delhi for the first time to attend the ceremony, despite strained relations in the past. Bangaldesh PM Sheikh Hasina, Vice-President of Seychelles, Ahmed Afif, Mauritian PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth and Nepal's Pushpa Kamal Dahal have also arrived in India.
Modi will take the oath of office at 7:15 pm on Sunday (today) along with his council of ministers in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) unanimously passed a resolution to elect Narendra Modi as their leader on June 5. Thousands of Delhi traffic police personnel and troops have been deployed on the occasion.
(with ANI inputs)
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