Prime Minster Modi Oath Ceremony will see around 8,000 guests.
Nearly 8,000 guests will attend the oath ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Rashtrapati Bhavan today, making it the biggest-ever event held in the historic place. The oath ceremony of Narendra Modi, that will begin at 7 PM, will be attended by the leaders of the BIMSTEC member countries, in line with the government's "Neighbourhood First" policy.
Apart from the world leaders, chief ministers, party leaders and members of Opposition, diplomats, ambassadors and celebrities will also be present at the PM Modi oath taking ceremony. More than 100 non-resident Indians or NRIs will also fly to Delhi to witness the swearing-in ceremony of the Prime Minister.
"It will be the biggest-ever event at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 8,000 people are coming," Ashok Malik, Press Secretary to the President, told IANS.
The size of the gathering is seen as a reflection of the massive mandate received by Modi government in the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP and the NDA have improved their tally compared to 2014.
The swearing-in will be held in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the same venue as in 2014. The event then was attended by about 5,000 guests.
Cuisines at PM Modi's Oath Ceremony
The guests attending the event will be treated to high tea that will have snacks, including samosas, and paneer items apart from sweets. This will be followed by a private dinner hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind for the leaders from BIMSTEC countries. With the swearing-in scheduled for 7 PM, the dinner will be light as it will be served a little late in the evening. The Prime Minister will also attend the dinner, along with some officials.
The visiting foreign dignitaries will be treated to vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes and include soup, fish, chicken, vegetables and "Dal Raisina" - a special delicacy of the Rashtrapati Bhavan that takes 48 hours to cook - among other delicacies.
"Dal Raisina is a speciality of our kitchen. Its special recipe was developed here in Rashtrapati Bhavan. It takes 48 hours to prepare. The process of preparing it started on May 28 and it will be ready by tomorrow (Thursday). It's a variant of popular "maa ki daal"," the Press Secretary said.
Invitees At PM Modi's Swearing-in Ceremony
The Bimstec leaders attending the event include Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Myanmarese President U Win Myint, Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, Sooronbay Jeenbekov, President of the Kyrgyz Republic and Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius. Thailand will be represented by its Special Enovy Grisada Boonrach.
(With inputs from IANS, PTI)