Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, speaking exclusively with NDTV, expressed admiration and respect for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, referring to him as his "Guru, Mentor, and Bade Bhai (elder brother)".
Prime Minister Togbay is among a host of foreign leaders who arrived in the national capital to attend the oath ceremony of PM Modi and his council of ministers last evening.
"I enjoy a very good relationship with him. I am blessed. I see him as a mentor and am very fortunate to receive his mentorship. I see him as a Guru because he is very clear in his vision and his vision will be implemented. Most importantly, I see him as my elder brother. In fact, I call him Bade Bhai," Prime Minister Togbay told NDTV.
Prime Minister Modi visited Bhutan in March for a two-day trip that PM Tobgay dubbed "Modi Ki Guarantee," as PM Modi had promised to visit Bhutan. During this tour, PM Modi was conferred with the 'Order of the Druk Gyalpo,' Bhutan's highest civilian honour. This distinction marks PM Modi as the first foreign dignitary and only the fourth person ever to receive this prestigious award.
"PM Modi was honoured not with my award but with His Majesty, the King's, and that is the highest civilian award. We were honoured in Bhutan that it was awarded to PM Modi, and he came all the way to Bhutan despite his busy schedule at the end of his second tenure as Prime Minister to personally receive the award," Prime Minister Togbay said.
Top leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region attended the PM's swearing-in ceremony. Notable attendees included Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Tshering Tobgay himself, and Seychelles Vice-President Ahmed Afif were also present at the grand event held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony marked his third consecutive term as Prime Minister, following the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance's victory, securing 293 out of 543 Lok Sabha seats. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the participation of these regional leaders underscores India's deep-rooted bonds of friendship and cooperation within the region.
"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," PM Modi wrote on X.
Following the ceremony, President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where she welcomed the leaders.
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