From guest list to menu: All we know about Modi's swearing-in so far

Armed with a massive mandate after ten years of being in the political wilderness, the BJP is pulling out all the stops for Monday 26 May, when Narendra Modi will be sworn in as Prime Minister. From decorations to guest list to menu, the details coming out indicate that we are set for a huge event. Here is a little bit about what we know so far: Venue: [caption id=“attachment_1505915” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A file photograph of RAshtrapati Bhavan. Reuters[/caption] Although there has been no official indication yet, all reports point to the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan as the venue for the swearing in. According to this report in the Indian Express, “Work has already begun for beautification of the forecourt. In addition to the usual red carpet, an antique blue carpet has been brought out for the occasion.” The forecourt of the Rashtrapati bhavan which was was last used to swear in a Prime Minister in 1998, when Atal Behari Vajpayee took oath for the second time, can seat around 4,000 people. A second option is the Durbar hall in Rashtrapati Bhavan, which can seat around 500 people. Guest list This swearing in is all about neighbourhood ties by the looks of it. All SAARC nation leaders including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa have been invited for the event. According to the Hindustan Times, “Asked if he would be coming to India, a Pakistan high commission spokesperson told HT, “We received the invite only in the evening.” The report adds that confirmed guests include Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, who will be undoubtedly keen to continue the good relations between his country and India. The ’likely to attend’ list has Rajapaksa, and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. The MEA has been tightlipped on who is attending, only confirming that invitations have been sent to SAARC leaders. According to _Firstpost_ columnist Rajeev Sharma , “this is the first time ever when an Indian PM-designate has sent such invites to the leadership of India’s neighbours. Manmohan Singh never sent such invites to the neighbours for his installation ceremonies in 2004 and 2009.” So will Pakistan respond? According to Sharma, it will all depend on how the Pakistani Army views the invitation. As he says, “The final call on the Indian invite will be made not by Nawaz Sharif but by the other Sharif – Pakistan’s army chief General Raheel Sharif. General Sharif may get an idea of doing a Pervez Musharraf on India when the then Pakistani military ruler had come to India for the infamous Agra Summit in July 2001. Then also a BJP-led government was at the helms in New Delhi. If that were to happen, Modi will find himself up against core foreign policy issues on Day One of his tenure as PM.” Menu: In his farewell speech to the Gujarat Assembly yesterday, Modi spoke of how Gujarati food will now make an entry at the PMO. “It is true that now in PMO Gujarati will be spoken, Khaman Dhokla will be eaten, Khakhra will be eaten”, he said. And while the food at the swearing in ceremony is unlikely to be entirely Gujarati, it will certainly be entirely vegetarian. “Arrangements are being made for 3,000 guests and a vegetarian high tea. The refreshments, including sandwiches and pastries, for VIPs will be served at the forecourt, while VVIPs will be ushered to a room inside the building,” The Indian Express said. Security:  With a potential guest list of 4,000 people including VVIP heads of state, security is bound to be a complete nightmare. According to the Economic Times, “Foolproof arrangements are being made to ensure complete security of the guests. Omita Paul, Secretary to the President, is personally overseeing the arrangements in coordination with the MEA, MHA and BJP leaders”.