Narendra Modi takes oath for third term as PM

 
Narendra Modi took oath for the third time as Indian Prime Minister on Sunday along with 72 ministers of his new cabinet. He has become the first three-term Prime Minister since Congress stalwart Jawaharlal Nehru. The decisions on the new cabinet were taken after a marathon 11-hour meeting at the Prime Minister's residence on Saturday.

A three-layered security was put in place at Rashtrapati Bhawan where he was administered oath of office by President Droupadi Murmu. Officials said commandos from Delhi Police's SWAT and NSG were deployed around the venue and other strategic locations as Delhi remained on high alert for the event.

Police have declared the national capital a no-fly zone, banning the use of aerial platforms like drones, para gliders, remotely piloted aircraft and hot air balloons for the next couple of days.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by leaders from neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Mauritius, and Seychelles, in addition to the Maldives, as part of India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy.

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina attended the swearing-in ceremony at the invitation of Narendra Modi. 

Modi, 73, secured the third term in elections that concluded on June 1 with the support of 14 regional parties in his BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), unlike in the previous two terms when his party won an outright majority.

The outcome is seen as a big setback to the popular leader as surveys and exit polls had predicted BJP would secure even more seats than in 2019.

>>Chanchal Chakrabarty, AA