Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for the successful celebrations of the 2018 Republic Day where for the first time 10 heads of state of ASEAN countries were invited as the chief guests.


The brainchild behind the inviting 10 ASEAN heads of state was Narendra Modi. At each point in the celebrations, the PM received updates and infused a personal touch to the programme.

The PM Modi never misses out on an opportunity to cheer up his ministerial colleagues, but whispers in the corridors of the power we overheard, suggest that there is no love lost between the six women union ministers. But on the instructions of the PMO, all the ministers rose to the occasion.

 
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, for instance, penned a two paragraph letter to the Chiefs of the staff of the armed forces conveying the PM's greetings.


External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj also sent a big thank you note to the Indian Ambassadors of the 10 ASEAN  countries and their representatives in India.