Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. (Photo: Twitter/ @narendramodi)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday congratulated Boris Johnson on becoming the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

"Congratulations @BorisJohnson on assuming office as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. I wish you success and look forward to working with you to further strengthen India - UK partnership in all spheres. @10DowningStreet," Modi twote on Twitter.

Beginning a new chapter in the British politics, Boris Johnson on Wednesday officially became the Prime Minister of the country, following the official step down of his predecessor Theresa May.

Johnson visited Buckingham Palace where he met Queen Elizabeth II for over half an hour. The Royal family tweeted an image of Johnson with the queen and confirmed that he has been asked to form the government, reported CNN.

Johnson on Tuesday had won the race to become the head of the conservative party after securing 92,153 votes to his rival Jeremy Hunt's 46,656 votes. 1,60,000 grassroots Conservative party members across the UK had voted to choose the next occupant of 10 Downing Street after May's departure. </s> • Johnson traveled to the Palace to be anointed prime minister by the Queen.
• However, activists formed a human chain which briefly stopped his car.
• Police intervened to break up the protest.

A group of protesters formed a human chain in front of the car taking Boris Johnson to Buckingham Palace.

Protesters in red t-shirts held hands and stood across the Mall – the road leading to the Palace – as Johnson was making his way to meet the Queen and be anointed as the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Climate change-fighting group Greenpeace has claimed responsibility for the stunt.

Police quickly intervened to break up the protest and allow Johnson’s car to continue to the Palace.

Johnson succeeded Theresa May as prime minister on Wednesday after winning the Conservative party leadership contest. He comfortably defeated rival Jeremy Hunt, winning 66% of votes cast by party members. </s> The Queen invited the new Tory leader to become Prime Minister during an audience at Buckingham Palace this afternoon. But Mr Johnson broke royal protocol when he went on to share what Her Majesty said to him when they met, Euronews and NBC News journalist Vincent McAviney claimed.

The reporter tweeted that Mr Johnson said the Queen told him: “I don’t know why anyone would want the job [of Prime Minister].” McAviney added: “The PM revealed it during a tour in Number 10 before being told off by staff not to repeat those things so loudly.” In a statement Buckingham Palace said: “The Queen received in Audience The Right Honourable Boris Johnson MP this afternoon and requested him to form a new Administration.

“Mr Johnson accepted Her Majesty’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury.” Following his meeting with the Queen, the new Prime Minister delivered a rousing speech outside 10 Downing Street. He said: “I pay tribute to the fortitude and patience of my predecessor and her deep sense of public service, but in spite of all her efforts, it has become clear that there are pessimists at home and abroad who think after three years of indecision that this country has become a prisoner to the old arguments of 2016 and in this home of democracy we are incapable of honouring a democratic mandate. “And so I am standing before you today, to tell you the British people, that those critics are wrong - the doubters, the doomsters, the gloomsters are going to get it wrong again.

“The people who bet against Britain are going to lose their shirts because we are going to restore trust in our democracy. “And we are going to fulfil the repeated promises of Parliament to the people and come out of the EU on October 31 no ifs or buts. “And we will do a new deal, a better deal that will maximise the opportunities of Brexit while allowing us to develop a new and exciting partnership with the rest of Europe based on free trade and mutual support.
Johnson is asked by the Queen to form a government, making him the 55th Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.