New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will become the Prime Minister of India for the third time today. Narendra Modi will take oath as the Prime Minister at 7:15 pm in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Leaders of 7 neighboring countries of India have been invited to attend this ceremony.
The process of arrival of guests for the swearing-in ceremony has started. Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu arrived in India for the first time on Sunday morning. Immediately after him, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth also came to Delhi. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina had come to India a day earlier on Saturday afternoon.
Apart from these, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, Nepal PM Prachanda, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay and Seychelles Vice President Ahmed Afif will attend the ceremony. These countries have been invited to the ceremony under India’s ‘Neighborhood First’ policy and ‘Sagar’ mission.
Arrangements for the stay of foreign guests have been made in the biggest hotels of Delhi. These include ITC Maurya, Taj Hotel, Oberoi, Claridges and Leela Hotel. 2500 jawans of paramilitary and Delhi Armed Police (DAP) have been deployed for their security.
Drones will monitor the route from the airport to the hotel and the swearing-in venue.
Apart from this, snipers and police force will also be present in the area. The route of the foreign leaders from the airport to the hotel and the venue will be monitored through drones. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had reached India on Saturday for this program. However, among all the foreign guests, the most attention will be on the visit of Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu.
Accepting the invitation for the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday, Muizzu had said, “It is an honor for me to participate in this historic event. I will continue to work with PM Modi to take Maldives-India relations forward.”
Tension between India and Maldives since Muizzu became President
In fact, there has been tension between Maldives and India since Muizzu became President in November last year. During his election campaign, Muizzu gave the slogan ‘India Out’ to remove 88 Indian soldiers from Maldives. After becoming President, he first visited China, whereas usually the President of Maldives visits India first after assuming office.
Meanwhile, Maldives ministers also gave a controversial statement on PM Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep. Under the leadership of Muizzu, Maldives removed Indian soldiers from the country and also ended the hydrographic survey project with India.