Congress senior leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday stated that the INDIA bloc had not yet received invitations to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony scheduled for June 9.
“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,” the Congress general secretary said at a press conference on Saturday.
In a social media post earlier, Ramesh claimed that the outcome of the recent Lok Sabha polls amounted to a “moral, political, and personal” setback for Prime Minister Modi
“The drumbeat to find silver linings in the mandate that has been a moral, political, and personal defeat for Narendra Modi has started. It is being propagated that Mr. Narendra Modi is the first to receive a mandate thrice in a row after Jawaharlal Nehru,” remarked the Congress general secretary on X.
“How leading a party to 240 seats and becoming an एक-तिहाई Pradhan Mantri is a mandate is not explained. Nehru, on the other hand, got 364 seats in 1952, 371 seats in 1957, and 361 seats in 1962 – a 2/3rd majority each time. Yet he remained a complete democrat, nurturing Parliament so very carefully with his constant presence,” he added.
“Neither is Modi the only man since Nehru to be sworn in thrice – in a row or not. Atal Bihari Vajpayee was sworn in thrice in 1996, 1998 and 1999. And Indira Gandhi was sworn in 4 times-in 1966, 1967, 1971 and 1980,” Ramesh said.
In the recently concluded 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the BJP secured 240 seats, falling short of a parliamentary majority in the 543-member House. However, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) collectively secured 293 seats. The Congress secured 99 seats in the election.
President Droupadi Murmu is slated to administer the oath of office and secrecy to Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi and his council of ministers on June 9 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 7:15 PM on June 9 (Sunday) in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Following the ceremony, BJP President JP Nadda is expected to host a dinner for all NDA leaders and party officials, according to sources.
(With inputs from agencies)
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