PM Narendra Modi pays homage to martyrs at National War Memorial ahead of swearing-in ceremony

PM-elect Narendra Modi will be taking the oath of the Prime Minister of the country consecutively for the second time on Thursday at 7 in the evening. The Members of Parliament who will be the part of Modi's cabinet will also take oath along with the Prime Minister. 

As the day began, PM-elect Modi paid tribute to martyrs at National War Memorial in New Delhi. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lamba and Vice Chief of Air Force Air Marshal RKS Bhadauria also accompanied him to pay tribute to the fallen heroes. 

Taking to Twitter, the Prime Minister said that the country is proud of all those brave men and women martyred in the line of duty. He added that the government will leave no stone unturned to safeguard India’s unity and integrity. National security is the priority.

The highest ever 8,000 guests, including VVIPs, will be attending the oath-taking ceremony of PM Modi and his council of Ministers that will be held at the forecourt — the stately path between the main gates and the main building in the Rashtrapati Bhavan. 

In 2019, world leaders will be attending the ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan- President of Bangladesh - Md. Abdul Hamid, President of Sri Lanka - Maithripala Sirisena, President of the Kyrgyz Republic - Sooronbay Jeenbekov, President of Myanmar - U Win Myint, Prime Minister of Mauritius - Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Nepal -  K.P. Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Bhutan - Dr. Lotay Tshering  and Special Envoy of Thailand - Mr. Grisada Boonrach

READ: Narendra Modi To Take Oath Of Office For Second Term As Prime Minister: LIVE Updates Ahead Of Swearing-in Ceremony Here

Apart from that the who's who of the country from sports legends to film personalities will be in attendance at the ceremony from Rahul Dravid and Saina Nehwal to Rajinikanth and Shah Rukh Khan. Industry bigwigs such as Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, and Ratan Tata have also been invited for the event. Besides Ambani, Adani, and Tata, business honchos Ajay Piramal, John Chambers, and Bill Gates have also been an extended invitation for Modi's swearing-in. Former sprinter P T Usha, cricketers Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Harbhajan Singh, badminton ace Saina Nehwal, badminton coach Pulella Gopichand and gymnast Dipa Karmakar are among the sports personalities invited to the ceremony, the sources said. Several film stars, including Kangana Ranaut, Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Bhansali, Karan Johar, and Rajnikanth, have also been invited. 

The invites have been sent out to leaders in the lengths and breaths of the country as well where the Congress president Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, CM elect Jagan Mohan Reddy and Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy have confirmed their presence, the likes of West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan have refused to attend the event. 

Meanwhile, Narendra Modi also visited Rajgath and paid his tribute to the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.