"Look Forward To Working Together": PM Modi Congratulates "Dear Friend" Trump

Donald Trump took oath as the 47th US president for a historic second term on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his "dear friend" Trump on his inauguration and wished him a "successful term ahead".

"I look forward to working closely together once again, to benefit both our countries and to shape a better future for the world," PM Modi posted on X.

Congratulations my dear friend President @realDonaldTrump on your historic inauguration as the 47th President of the United States! I look forward to working closely together once again, to benefit both our countries, and to shape a better future for the world. Best wishes for a…

PM Modi didn't attend the inauguration ceremony - attended by several world leaders - but he sent External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to attend the event as his special envoy. "Privileged to represent India as External Affairs Minister and Special Envoy of PM at the Swearing-In Ceremony of the 47th President of the United States of America today in Washington DC," he said earlier on X.

Trump, with one hand raised in the air and the other on a Bible given to him by his mother, solemnly took the oath of office beneath the huge Rotunda of the US Capitol.

In his first speech after taking oath as the US president, Trump listed a number of executive orders he will be signing soon, including a national emergency at the Mexico border. The orders are mainly aimed at fulfilling his poll promises.

Tech giants like Elon Musk, Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos and Google CEO Sundar Pichai all had prime seats in the Capitol alongside Trump's family and cabinet members.

While Trump refused to attend Biden's 2021 inauguration after falsely accusing him of electoral fraud, the former president restored tradition. Earlier, he, along with his spouse Jill Biden, met Trump and Melania for a traditional tea at the White House. Republican Trump and Democratic Biden then travelled by motorcade together to the Capitol where the inauguration ceremony was being held indoors against the initially planned outdoor venue for the first time in decades due to the bitter cold.