Narendra Modi swearing-in | ‘Neighbourhood First’ to be on show
The HinduPrime Minister designate Narendra Modi is set to take oath on Sunday for a third straight term as the head of a coalition government after two full tenures in which the BJP enjoyed a majority on its own. India on Saturday announced that leaders of seven countries from its neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region including Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will attend the swearing-in ceremony scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. on Sunday. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu said on Saturday that he would be honoured to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony and his first visit to India for the historic event would demonstrate that bilateral ties are heading in a “positive direction”. “The visit of the leaders to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his third consecutive term is in keeping with the highest priority accorded by India to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and ‘SAGAR’ vision,” Ministry of External Affairs said. The leaders of regional grouping SAARC countries attended Modi’s first swearing-in ceremony when he took the reins as the Prime Minister after a massive electoral victory for the BJP in 2014.