Cong leaders yet to receive invite for PM's swearing-in ceremony: Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi, Jun 8: Congress leaders are yet to receive invitations for Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony on June 9, the party said on Saturday and also claimed that Modi had lost political and moral authority as he "did not get" the people's mandate in the Lok Sabha polls.
The dignitaries and special invitees attending the ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday evening, include leaders from India's neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean Region.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party leaders have not received any invitation for PM Modi's swearing-in ceremony, while all invitations are going to international leaders.
"The person taking the oath has lost his personal, political and moral authority. Mandate was sought in his (Modi) name, he did not get it, and we don't understand why this drama of swearing-in is being undertaken," Ramesh told reporters after a meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party at the Central hall of the old Parliament building.
After the meeting of the Congress Working Committee earlier in the day, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal had said at a media briefing that the INDIA bloc will take a call on attending Modi's swearing-in ceremony. "So far, we have not got an invitation," he said.
Speaking at the media briefing, Ramesh said only international leaders have been invited for tomorrow's swearing-in ceremony.
"Our leaders have not received invitations yet. When the invitation comes to our INDIA 'janbandhan' leaders, if it comes, we will consider it," he said.
Besides leaders of foreign countries, 10 loco pilots of the Indian Railways have also been invited to the ceremony which is slated to take place at 7:15 pm at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Though the BJP could not get a majority on its own in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the party-led alliance secured 293 seats out of 543. The Congress got 99 seats in the polls. The majority mark in the lower house is 272.
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Schools in Mizoram's nine districts closed due to rain
Aizawl (PTI): All schools in nine districts of Mizoram remained closed on Tuesday due to heavy rain that has been lashing the northeastern state since the day before, an official said.
School Education Director Angela Zothanpuii said administrations of nine districts, including Aizawl, Kolasib, Lunglei and Mamit, announced school closure on Tuesday as a precautionary measure for students' safety.
However, schools in the southern districts of Hnahthial and Lawngtlai remained open following a slight improvement in weather conditions there, she said.
According to the India Meteorological Department, Serchhip recorded the highest rainfall at 70.5 mm in a 24-hour period, followed by Hnahthial 55 mm, Siaha 37.5 mm, and Aizawl 36 mm.
Khawzawl district reported 30 mm of rainfall, Mamit 25.9 mm, Kolasib 25 mm, Lawngtlai 17.5 mm, and Lunglei 2.2 mm during the same period, it said.
The weather department has forecast light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm and lightning in Mizoram on Tuesday.
