President appoints Narendra Modi as PM-designate
Will take oath on Sunday evening
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Friday appointed NDA Parliamentary Party leader Narendra Modi as Prime Minister-designate and the new government will take oath on Sunday evening.
Murmu handed over the letter of appointment to Modi, who called on her at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Friday evening.
Earlier, leaders of the BJP-led NDA had called on Murmu and handed over letters of support for Modi, who was elected as the leader of the NDA Parliamentary Party.
Addressing the media in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Modi said he has been appointed as Prime Minister-designate by the President.
“The President has asked me to work as the PM-designate and she has informed me about the oath ceremony,” Modi said and added that he has informed the President that they will be comfortable if the event is held on the evening of June 9.
He said the Rashtrapati Bhavan will work out the details of the oath taking ceremony on Sunday by when he would hand over the list of the Council of Ministers to the President.
“This 18th Lok Sabha is an important milestone towards fulfilling those dreams when the country will celebrate the 100 years of independence in 2047,” Modi said.
This 18th Lok Sabha is a House of new energy, youthful energy, and people have given the NDA government one more chance, Modi said.
The BJP-led NDA won 293 seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and enjoys majority in the 543-member House.
Earlier, the Prime Minister urged NDA MPs not to fall prey to hoaxes about ministries and portfolios and claimed the “INDI Alliance” could also indulge in spreading “fake news” about such issues.
Addressing a meeting of the NDA Parliamentary Party, PM Modi said he did not find much truth in what was being aired on TV in the last couple of days.
“I did not find any truth in what is being run. I said one should ask where do they get such information from. There had not been such an occasion in the last 10 years, so there will be such excitement. Some people reach out to you and say they have high contacts and will make you minister… We fall for it thinking this could be a way to become a minister,” PM Modi said.
He said now technology is such that people could also come out with a list of ministers with even his signatures on it.
“Some intelligent person may also distribute portfolios. A lot of people are busy in forming government these days, distributing ministries and posts. I request you, those who know Modi, know that all such attempts are useless. If you get a phone call, verify that they are from the authority concerned or not,” he said.
“So there is an entire army indulging in such rumour-mongering. Some people do it habitually, some do it for entertainment while some do it with ill-intentions. I urge all MPs not to fall prey to such conspiracies,” he said.
PM Modi alleged that during the Lok Sabha elections, the “INDI Alliance” perfected themselves in spreading “fake news” and have done a “double PhD in it. They will make use of such tactics. We should stay away from such things, stay away from rumours,” he said.
Referring to senior leaders, PM Modi said the team that was sitting there was experienced and gave him the right advice.
“That is why the team will make the right decisions jointly. Be rest assured that the country will not run on the basis of breaking news,” he said.
