 "Jairam Ramesh, Jairam")
The Opposition INDIA bloc has not been invited to the scheduled swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi on Sunday, the Congress party said on Saturday.
Following the Congress’ CWC meeting, party leader Jairam Ramesh said, "Only international leaders have been invited for the swearing-in ceremony. Our leaders have not received the invitation yet. When our INDIA alliance leaders receive the invitation, we will think about it."
Modi is scheduled to be sworn in as the prime minister of India for the third consecutive term on June 9 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi. The ceremony is expected to be attended by 9,000 guests, including international leaders.
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#WATCH | On the swearing-in ceremony of PM-Designate Narendra Modi, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh says, "Only international leaders have been invited for the swearing-in ceremony. Our leaders have not received the invitation yet. When our INDIA alliance leaders receive the… pic.twitter.com/jlkXZCnMGE
— ANI (@ANI) June 8, 2024
New Delhi has extended the invitation for the ceremony guided by its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ which focuses on key island nations in the Indian Ocean region.
Top leaders from Sri Lanka, The Maldives, Seychelles, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Nepal, and Bhutan accepted the invitation to attend the event, said an official press release.
Security has been beefed up across Delhi with a special focus on the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The event venue will remain under a heavy security blanket of five companies of paramilitary forces, NSG commandos, drones, and snipers, the Delhi Police officials said.
A three-layer security arrangement will be enforced around the President's house, in which the Delhi Police personnel will remain deployed at the outer ring, followed by paramilitary personnel and internal security at the inner ring.
Around 2,500 police personnel are set to be deployed around the venue, an officer said.
Top hotels in the city such as Leela, Taj, ITC Maurya, Claridges, and Oberoi have already been brought under security cover, and snipers and armed police personnel will remain deployed on the routes that the dignitaries are likely to take.
Modi’s swearing-in ceremony comes days after the Lok Sabha elections results were announced on June 4, in which the INDIA bloc bagged 243 seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance got 292 seats.
Modi’s BJP failed to secure a majority of 272 seats and will run in coalition with Janata Dal (United), and Telugu Desam Party, among others.
