PM Modi addresses US Congress, attends a rare presser at the White House

PM Modi becomes the first Indian prime minister to address the US Congress for the second time

PM Modi’s rare press conference in almost a decade

Updated: Jun 23rd, 2023

Indian prime minister Narendra Modi addressing the US Congress for the second time, Image courtesy: Twitter

Prime minister Narendra Modi during his first state visit addressed a joint session of the US Congress on June 23. This was his second address to a joint session, earlier he had given a speech in the US Parliament in 2016, becoming the first Indian prime minister to be addressing it twice.

“It is always a great honour to address the US Congress and it is an exceptional privilege to do so twice,” said PM Modi in his speech.

Special points from PM Modi’s address

In his hour-long speech, PM Modi touched upon various topics including the Indian economy, US-India democratic relations, terrorism, artificial intelligence, climate, women empowerment, and other areas.

Modi lauded the strategic partnerships as a new chapter for both countries. His commitment to deepening the India-US friendship remains the same for the past seven years. He added that India-US relations are influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr and called out India and the US, the world’s two biggest democracies who share a very close relationship, saying that, “when India grows, the whole world grows.” 

He further stated that when he first visited the US, India was the tenth-largest economy in the world. Today, India is the fifth largest economy.

Dark clouds surround the Indo-Pacific region

PM Modi shared that the stability of the Indo-Pacific region is a shared responsibility. He said, “The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific. The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership.” 

Recalling the 9/11 twin tower attacks and 26/11 Mumbai attacks, he said, “These ideologies keep taking new identities and forms, but their intentions are the same. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs or buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror,” Modi said. 

Praised vice president Kamala Harris

During his address, he also praised vice president Kamala Harris, whose success stories define the relationship and the limitless possibilities between the two nations.

PM Modi reacts to president Biden’s ‘no alcohol in glass’ joke

Biden told that his grandfather, Ambrose Finnegan, used to say, “If you give a toast and you don't have any alcohol in the glass, you must do it with your left hand.”  “You all think I’m kidding. I’m not,” he joked as PM held a glass with a soft drink in it.

Indian kids becoming Spiderman, America’s youth dancing on ‘Naatu Naatu’: PM Modi

With every passing day, Indians and Americans are getting to know each other better. Kids in India become Spiderman on Halloween and America’s youth is dancing to the tunes of ‘Naatu Naatu’.

PM Modi’s rare press conference in almost a decade

In a rare sight PM Modi took two questions from the journalists at a joint press conference which was held on June 22 with president Biden at the White House, breaking his norm of not taking questions from reporters for the first time in a decade.

A journalist from Wall Street Journal questioned his alleged persecution of Muslims, human rights and democracy in India. To which, Modi defended India by saying “democracy runs in our veins” and insisting that there is “absolutely no space for discrimination.”

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