Indian PM gets a glitzy welcome from White House

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to the U.S. has been jampacked with lavish dinners, numerous trade deals and criticism about human rights issues in his country.

Modi arrived at the White House on Thursday morning, where the red carpet was rolled out. He was welcomed by marching troops and roughly 7,000 guests gathered on the South Lawn.

“I’ve long believed the relationship between the United States and India … will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century,” President Joe Biden said during the welcome ceremony, touting the friendship and values the U.S. and India share.

“Two proud nations whose love of freedom secured our independence, bound by the same words in our Constitution, the first three words, ‘we the people,’” he said.

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India is the world’s largest democracy, has one of the fastest-growing economies and is the most populous country in the world, recently surpassing China. The Biden administration’s big welcome for Modi implies an acknowledgment of a country that is gaining prominence in a multipolar world dominated by concerns about China and Russia.

“In the post-COVID era, the world order is taking a new shape,” Modi said through a translator. “In this time period, the friendship between India and the U.S. will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world.”

Modi takes questions, addresses Congress

After a closed-door meeting with Biden in the Oval Office, Biden and Modi held a joint press conference where they answered two questions — a rare occurrence for Modi.

He answered the second question about dissent and the state of the religious minorities in India: “There’s absolutely no space for discrimination,” Modi said through a translator.

“When you talk of democracy, if there are no human values and there is no humanity, there are no human rights, then it’s not a democracy.”

Later in the afternoon, Modi made his way to the Capitol to address Congress. Some U.S. lawmakers had already aired their grievances about reported human rights issues in India while others said they hoped the visit would prompt less restricted bilateral trade between the countries.

Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, of Minnesota, said they were boycotting the event, while Sen. Bernie Sanders, tweeted that Biden should privately raise human rights issues.

Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote a letter to Biden Wednesday, asking the president to urge Modi to ease up on trade barriers such as “extremely high tariffs and burdensome licensing requirements.”

Per Reuters, deals on easing work visa restrictions, investing in chips and semiconductors manufactured in India, removing tariffs, and gaining momentum in fighting climate change have been or will be unveiled during Modi’s visit.

The prime minister was welcomed by a full crowd at the U.S. Capitol, and chats of “Modi!” erupted as he made an entrance to the floor of Congress.

He began by thanking the lawmakers for the invitation to make the address to a joint session of Congress, and said that “it is an exceptional privilege to do so twice.”

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Modi talked about the friendship that India and the U.S. share and the equal access that American Indians have to the American dream.

“There are millions here who have roots in India. Some of them sit proudly in this chamber and there is one behind me,” he said, pointing to Vice President Kamala Harris, “who has made history.”

He championed the trade and cultural relationship India shares with the U.S. through Indian Americans, who, he said, “are brilliant in every field, not just the Spelling Bee.” This earned him cheers and laughs.

Modi also touted India's economic growth, jumping from the 10th largest economy in the world to the fifth under his leadership, as well as mass digitalizing efforts, and a mission to Mars.

He mentioned instability in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. On the issue of Ukraine, he said, “We all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering.”

While India shares relations with the U.S., the country follows a nonalignment policy — which allows it to buy Russian oil and military defense equipment.

After the state dinner at the White House, Modi is set to meet business leaders on Friday before leaving for Egypt. He has already met Twitter and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who promised that India will have Tesla cars available “as soon as humanly possible.”

Indian PM practices yoga in New York, attends White House state dinner

Modi’s high-profile visit began in New York on Wednesday where he stretched his muscles and flexed his diplomacy skills on the north lawn of the United Nations headquarters in celebration of yoga, where the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, a popular Indian figure who championed the nonviolence movement, is featured.

Modi, 72, called yoga “a way of life” in his brief remarks and spent 30 minutes on the mat alongside thousands of others, before making his journey to Washington, D.C.

The Biden administration hosted Modi at a White House state dinner on Thursday night. This is the Indian prime minister’s first such invitation since he first got elected in 2014.

A plant-based meal, catering to the vegetarian Modi, consisting of a marinated millet salad, corn and compressed watermelon, stuffed Portobello mushrooms and saffron risotto, and a strawberry shortcake infused with rose and cardamom will be served to 400 guests, according to The Associated Press.

Biden and first lady Jill Biden hosted Modi at an intimate dinner Wednesday prior to Thursday’s extravagant candle-lit evening, where Biden and Modi exchanged gifts.