India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the oath of office for a third consecutive term on Sunday, leading a 72-member Union Council of Ministers under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
The historic ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan was graced by top leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region.
Notably absent from the ceremony was Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who extended his congratulations to Modi through a post on X, formerly Twitter, upon returning from China, Pakistan's steadfast ally. "Felicitations to @narendramodi on taking oath as the Prime Minister of India," Sharif wrote.
Among the distinguished guests were Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Also in attendance were Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and Vice-President of Seychelles Ahmed Afif.
The diplomatic snub reflects the strained relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, which took a significant hit in 2019 when Islamabad downgraded its diplomatic ties with New Delhi. This followed India's controversial move to abrogate Article 370, revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.
India maintains a stance of seeking normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan, highlighting that the responsibility lies with Islamabad to foster an environment free of terror and hostility.
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