New Delhi, May 21 (NDTV): Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi has reportedly invited leaders of South Asian neighbours including Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina for his oath-taking ceremony on Monday, May 26.
During his meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee yesterday, Mr Modi reportedly conveyed his keenness to invite world leaders including heads of state of neighbouring countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC. The Ministry of External Affairs has begun the process to send the invites.
There is no recent precedent for inviting foreign heads of state when an Indian prime minister has been sworn in. SAARC nations include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan and the invitation would send out a strong signal of a neighbour-friendly new government.
The BJP has indicated that Mr Modi will work to a re-crafted foreign policy. He repeatedly tore into the Congress-led UPA government's foreign policy in his election speeches as "stagnated", "weak" and "a mockery."
Praising the move, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah poster on Twitter, "Excellent move by @narendramodi to invite SAARC leaders, especially Pak PM for his swearing in. Hope this is beginning of sustained talks (sic)."
Minutes later he tweeted again saying, "At the same time I can't help wonder what BJP would have said if a PM designate Rahul Gandhi had done the same thing."
BJP chief Rajnath Singh said yesterday that about 3000 people would be invited for Mr Modi's oath-taking, which will be held in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace. Only two other prime ministers - Chandra Shekhar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee - have been sworn in in the Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt.
Others have taken oath in the historic Durbar Hall of the palace, which can only accommodate 500 people.
The BJP, along with its allies, has won 336 seats in parliament, a more than comfortable majority.