 "Narendra Modi will take oath of office for a third time on 9 June. Reuters File Photo")
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Narendra Modi is all set to return to power for a third straight term at the Centre. His oath-taking ceremony as India’s prime minister will be held on Sunday (9 June) at 6 pm.
On Friday (7 June), the BJP -headed National Democratic Alliance (NDA) proposed him as the bloc’s Parliamentary leader and supported him as the next PM, paving the way for his third swearing-in ceremony.
Besides several world leaders, invites have been sent to individuals from different walks of life. The guest list indicates Modi wants to honour the contributions of India’s marginalised communities.
Who has been invited to Narendra Modi’s third swearing-in ceremony? Which world leaders will be attending? Let’s take a closer look.
Doctors, sanitation workers & more
The Rashtrapati Bhavan will be packed as the Central government aims to accommodate up to 8,000 people for Modi’s oath-taking ceremony.
The invitees include prominent people from various vocations such as lawyers, doctors, artists, cultural performers and influencers among others.
As per NDTV, “Viksit Bharat ambassadors” like Railway employees working on Vande Bharat and Metro trains, and beneficiaries of schemes of the Central government will also be present.
Other special guests invited for the rare third swearing-in would be tribal women, sanitation workers, transgender people, and labourers involved in the Central Vista Project.
Rat-hole miners who helped in rescuing the 41 trapped construction workers after a portion of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi collapsed last year have also been invited to Modi’s oath-taking ceremony.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsOther guests include National Office Bearers of the BJP, National Executive Committee (NEC) members, outgoing Parliamentarians, district presidents, MPs, MLAs and MLCs, as well as Lok Sabha in-charges.
Invitations will also be sent to about 50 distinguished religious leaders from all faiths.
‘Mann Ki Baat’ participants who were acknowledged by PM Modi for their contributions to the nation and society are also expected to mark their presence at the ceremony.
Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardees will also grace the occasion.
World leaders invited for Modi’s swearing-in
Modi’s invitation list for world leaders reflects his government’s much-touted ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and Sri Lanka’s president Ranil Wickremesinghe have confirmed their presence for the Sunday event.
Other foreign dignitaries reportedly invited are Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, Vice President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif, and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth.
The surprise invitee expected at Modi’s swearing-in ceremony is Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu . Reports say he has accepted the invitation, which will make it his first visit to India since assuming the presidency last November.
The development shows an improvement in ties between New Delhi and Malé after tensions erupted in January this year.
2014 and 2019 invitees
Narendra Modi has been at the helm since 2014 when the BJP-led NDA ousted Congress from power.
During his first swearing-in ceremony as India’s PM, Modi invited heads of the governments of SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
At the time, his government took everyone by surprise by extending invites to foreign leaders for what was traditionally a domestic event.
After Modi’s BJP and NDA returned with a historic mandate in 2019, the guest list for the swearing-in again included foreign leaders.
Modi, along with 57 Ministers, took oath at a grand ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan in May 2019. This time, leaders of BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) marked their presence at the event.
BIMSTEC nations consist of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Invitations were also dispatched to leaders from the Kyrgyz Republic and Mauritius.
Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina had to miss the event due to her three-nation foreign visit.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director was also on the guest list.
The chief ministers of all states were invited but not everyone attended the ceremony.
Prominent actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Bhansali, Karan Johar, Kangana Ranaut, and Tamil cinema superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan were also on the guest list.
Sports personalities like PT Usha, Saina Nehwal, Harbhajan Singh, Rahul Dravid and top industrialists, including Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and Ratan Tata, were also reportedly invited.
The kin of BJP workers that the party claimed were killed in political violence in West Bengal were also extended the invitation for Modi’s second swearing-in ceremony.
With inputs from agencies