New Delhi: Top leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region including Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Sunday graced the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Council of Ministers.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, his Bhutanese counterpart Tshering Tobgay and Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif also attended the glittering ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Modi took the oath for the third straight term, days after the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance secured 293 seats out of 543 in the Lok Sabha polls. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the participation of the leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region on the "momentous occasion" of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and Union Council of Ministers underlines India's deep-rooted bonds of friendship and cooperation with the region.
Leaders congratulate PM Modi for his third term
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Modi met the visiting leaders in Rashtrapati Bhavan. The leaders congratulated him for taking oath as the prime minister of India for the historic third consecutive term, the MEA said. "Thanking them for gracing the occasion, the prime minister reaffirmed India's commitment to its 'Neighbourhood First' policy and 'SAGAR Vision'. "The prime minister emphasised that in his third term, India will continue to work for the peace, progress and prosperity of the region in close partnership with the countries even as it pursues its goal of Vikshit Bharat by 2047," it said.
"In this context, he called for deeper people-to-people ties and connectivity in the region. He further added that India would continue to amplify the voice of the Global South in the international arena," the MEA said in a statement.
In a post on X, PM Modi said, "I am grateful to all the foreign dignitaries who joined the swearing-in ceremony. India will always work closely with our valued partners in pursuit of human progress."
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.
Foreign leaders also attended a banquet
The foreign leaders also attended a banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President while welcoming the leaders stated that India's democratic exercise was not only a "moment of pride for its people, but an inspiration to millions around the world", the MEA said.
Along with Modi, senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman and S Jaishankar were sworn in as cabinet ministers, indicating the Prime Minister's emphasis on continuity and experience as they held senior positions in his second term.
The foreign leaders were sitting in the front row at the ceremony held at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. While Hasina and Afif reached Delhi on Saturday, Muizzu, Prachanda, Wickremesinghe, Jugnauth and Tobgay arrived on Sunday. The leaders of regional grouping SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries attended Modi's first swearing ceremony when he took the reins as the prime minister after a massive electoral victory for BJP in 2014.
Maldives President first visit to India
Leaders of the BIMSTEC countries attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony, in 2019 when he became prime minister for the second consecutive term. Besides India, the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. Among the foreign leaders, the decision to invite Muizzu assumed significance as it came against the backdrop of the ties between India and the Maldives witnessing significant strain.
It is Muizzu's first visit to India after he became the island nation's president on November 17 last year. The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, took charge of the top office. Within hours of his oath, he had demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel from his country. The Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians earlier this month.
(With inputs from agency)
