The Rashtrapati Bhavan announced on Friday that the weekly Change of Guard Ceremony will be canceled on June 8, 15, and 22. This is to prepare for the Prime Minister’s swearing-in ceremony and his council of ministers at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, as well as President Droupadi Murmu’s address to both houses of Parliament.
“The Change of Guard ceremony will not take place on June 8, 15, and 22, 2024, at Rashtrapati Bhavan due to the preparation for the Swearing-in-Ceremony of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Forecourt, Rashtrapati Bhavan and address to both the Houses of Parliament by the President,” the statement said.
The Change of Guard ceremony is a weekly military tradition where a new group of the President’s Bodyguards takes over.
Security has been tightened across Delhi in preparation for the swearing-in ceremony of the new union government. Top officials from Delhi Police conducted a detailed security review at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Special security measures are also in place for the foreign dignitaries attending the event, including increased security at their hotels.
A public advisory was issued on Friday, announcing a No-Fly Zone over the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. “With effect from 09.06.2024, there will be a prohibition on flying of sub-conventional aerial platforms like para-gliders, para-motors, hang-gliders, UAVs, UASS, microlight aircrafts, remotely piloted aircrafts, hot air balloons, small-sized powered aircrafts, quadcopters or para-jumping from aircraft etc. over the jurisdiction of the NCT of Delhi in view of the swearing-in ceremony in the National Capital Territory of Delhi to thwart criminal, anti-social elements or terrorists inimical to India from posing a threat to the safety of the general public, dignitaries and vital installations by using them,” the police said in an advisory issued on X.
Narendra Modi has been elected as the NDA’s Parliamentary leader after a meeting of the alliance’s newly elected MPs in the Parliament’s central hall on Friday. Later, he met President Murmu and claimed the formation of the government at the center. President Murmu appointed Modi as the prime minister-designate after BJP president J P Nadda handed her a letter on Modi’s election as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party, and NDA leaders submitted their letters of support.
According to the 2024 election results from the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, while Congress improved its standing by winning 99 seats. The BJP-led NDA secured 293 seats, and the INDIA bloc won 234 seats.