modi to be sworn in as indias new pm
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Modi to be sworn in as India`s new pm

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Modi to be sworn in as India`s new pm

Narendra Modi
New Delhi - Arab Today

Narendra Modi will be sworn in as Indias prime minister Monday, with the pro-business leader already signalling bold intentions by slashing the size of the cabinet and welcoming his Pakistani counterpart to the ceremony.

After a decade of left-leaning Congress party rule, the 63-year-old Hindu nationalist is set to steer India firmly to the right in the next five years, armed with a powerful mandate after a landslide election victory.

Modi, leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), paid a visit to the memorial of Indias independence hero Mahatma Gandhi early Monday, before then stopping to meet Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his partys only previous premier, who is confined to his home at the age of 89.

Modis new cabinet was expected to be announced ahead of his inauguration at 6:00pm (1230 GMT) and Modi indicated in a statement late Sunday that the number of ministries would be sharply reduced.

"Keeping our commitment to Minimum Government, Maximum Governance we have made an unprecedented & positive change in Ministry formation," he also said on his official Twitter feed.

Modi, son of a tea-stall owner, secured the biggest majority in 30 years at the election, trouncing the scandal-plagued Congress on a promise of reviving manufacturing and investment to create millions of jobs.

His pledge to overhaul the flagging economy won over voters, along with his rags-to-riches story and reputation as a clean and efficient chief minister of prosperous western Gujarat state.

Critics claimed the 63-year-old would favour the Hindu majority at the expense of the countrys 150 million Muslims and other religious minorities, but the warnings failed to dent his rise.

Many Muslims remain deeply suspicious of Modi, who is tainted by communal riots in Gujarat in 2002 that killed more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. He has denied he failed to stop the bloodshed and a court investigation found he had no case to answer.

The invitation to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was seen as a significant olive branch to Indias Muslim neighbour and it marks the first time that a leader from either country has attended his counterparts inauguration since independence in 1947.

Sharif, who has hailed Modis "impressive victory", accepted the invite which was extended to all heads of government from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which includes Pakistan.

He arrived late morning on Monday, smiling and waving to television cameras at the airport. 



Reason for optimism 

Ordinary Indians and business leaders have sky-high hopes that Modi will deliver decisive and graft-free government in a chaotic and still poor country that is home to a sixth of humanity.

"The country needs to be steered in the right direction now and only Modi can do it. Hes got a strict school headmaster quality about him," Kavita Lal, a 32-year-old IT professional, told AFP as she took the New Delhi metro on Monday.

Like many, she mocked the prime ministership of outgoing 81-year-old Manmohan Singh who rarely spoke to the media during 10 years in power and was widely seen as lacking authority.

"It just seemed like for the last 10 years we had no leader in the country," she said.

With the economy growing at under five percent, analysts warn bold reforms are needed with investors already anticipating change, sending the Bombay Stock Exchange to record levels.

Modi and his cabinet will be sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidents palace, in New Delhi amid tight security in a ceremony with at least 3,000 guests, according to local media.

Since elections results on May 16, which showed the BJP with the first parliamentary majority by a single party since 1984, Modi has been at pains to put his divisive past behind him and appear inclusive.

In a rare sign of emotion last week, he choked back tears as he promised to try to live up to the expectations of all Indians including "our weakest and poorest" during a speech in parliament.

Along with Sharif, other national leaders attending include Afghanistans outgoing President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala.

Modi will hold bilateral talks with Sharif on Tuesday with hopes the two can thaw ties. 

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence in 1947 and bilateral ties broke down after the 2008 attacks by Pakistani gunmen on Mumbai in which 166 people were killed.

Sharif has cited his working relationship with Vajpayee in the late 1990s as a reason for optimism, according to diplomatic sources.

Source: ANTARA

 

 

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

modi to be sworn in as indias new pm modi to be sworn in as indias new pm

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

modi to be sworn in as indias new pm modi to be sworn in as indias new pm

 



GMT 23:48 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

Mohamed bin Zayed, King Salman discuss regional issues

GMT 11:19 2016 Saturday ,24 September

Kerber to strengthen number one hold in Wuhan

GMT 09:54 2016 Friday ,30 December

Shoot knife-wielding Palestinian woman

GMT 22:51 2017 Sunday ,08 January

In Zimbabwe, a first lady exerts her power

GMT 02:52 2016 Wednesday ,21 December

Obama condoles with Merkel after market attack

GMT 16:29 2017 Thursday ,26 January

Prefers social TV programs to politics

GMT 16:43 2016 Saturday ,15 October

DiCaprio issues climate action call in new documentary

GMT 15:07 2016 Monday ,18 July

Riyad Bank posts SR1.15bn net profit

GMT 04:38 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Weak eyesight no hindrance for 'Professor' Chung

GMT 02:46 2017 Thursday ,13 July

Widodo prays at Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara city

GMT 01:29 2017 Friday ,08 December

UAE condemns US decision on Jerusalem

GMT 23:57 2017 Thursday ,19 October

Google’s sister company Deepmind forms ethics unit
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday