Transgender community members, sanitation workers to attend Modi’s oath ceremony

New Delhi: People from transgender community and sanitation workers have been invited to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi and the new cabinet of ministers to give them blessings.

Before the ceremony, BJP MP and former Social Justice and Empowerment minister Virendra Kumar felicitated the transgender community members at his residence while BJP MP and former Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat felicitated sanitation workers.

“This is a part of Prime Minister Modi’s call of ‘sabka saath sabka vishwas and sabha prayas’. Including people from transgender community in the ceremony is to enhance the inclusivity message of the PM,” Kumar told media.

This is the first time that people from the transgender community are formally invited for the swearing-in ceremony, he said.

These participants have made contribution in the empowerment of the transgender community, Kumar added.

Sonam Kinnar from the UP BJP unit said she along with 50 members of the community have come here to give blessings to the new government.

“We are saddened that PM Modi did not receive the number of seats as expected due to caste-based politics but we have full confidence in our PM and the situation will improve,” she said.

Modi is set to take oath on Sunday for a third straight term as the head of a coalition government after two full tenures in which the BJP enjoyed a majority on its own.

The 73-year-old will be equalling the feat of first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who won in 1952, 1957 and 1962 general elections.

Leaders from India’s neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean Region are among the dignitaries and special invitees expected to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the prime minister and his council of ministers at Rashtrapati Bhavan at 7.15 pm.