New Delhi: Ministry of external affairs sources said in New Delhi that besides the Saarc leaders, Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam has also been invited, and will attend the oath-taking ceremony.
Besides attending the swearing-in ceremony, the Saarc leaders will also be attending an official dinner in New Delhi Monday night. On Tuesday, bilateral meetings of the visiting leaders are expected with the new Indian leadership at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. If Mr Sharif comes, this will be the first face-to-face meeting between Mr Modi and the Pakistan PM.
Earlier, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Tasnim Aslam said Islamabad expected a “meaningful dialogue” with India after Mr Modi becomes PM. She also said if Mr Sharif did not travel to New Delhi, a representative would be nominated, adding that this was a “normal practice”, and there would be no breach of protocol.
On Thursday, Leader of the Opposition in the Pakistan National Assembly Khurshid Shah also urged Mr Sharif to attend Mr Modi’s oath-taking ceremony. Talking to reporters, he said the PM’s visit will ease tensions between Pakistan and India.
Meanwhile, ahead of his swearing in ceremony, Modi on Thursday held meeting with party leaders including his close associate Amit Shah. BJP chief Rajnath Singh also held a meeting of national general secretaries to oversee the preparation for Mr Modi’s oath taking ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan scheduled on Monday.
Speculation is rife within the BJP that Mr Modi’s mother Hiraba would attend the ceremony but party leaders refused to comment on the issue.
While names of possible cabinet ministers, who would take oath with Mr Modi, are doing the rounds in the party circle, BJP leaders are maintaining that Mr Modi’s cabinet will be a “smart cabinet.”
Mr Modi, who reached New Delhi on Thursday from Ahmedabad, where he submitted his resignation from the chief minister’s post on Wednesday and attended the oath taking ceremony of his close aide Anandiben Patel as his successor, met his mother before leaving for New Delhi. He posted a photograph of the mother-son duo: “Met my Mother before leaving for Delhi.”
