Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday addressed a joint sitting of the US Congress for the second time, a rare honour that only a few world leaders have been accorded with so far. PM Modi’s speech was met with frequent applause, even a few standing ovations.
In his speech that lasted around sixty minutes, the Prime Minister touched upon several issues, including the sanctity of democratic values and diversity, the scale and magnitude of the Indian economy, women’s empowerment, and the growing contribution of the Indian diaspora to the US economy.
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The message that hit home
Lauding the members of the US Congress for coming together to celebrate America’s ties with India, the Prime Minister suggested that while differences on ideas were natural, and acceptable, the political class across nations must speak in one voice when it comes to national interest.
“I can relate to the battles of pressure, persuasion and policy. I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I’m delighted to see you come together today to celebrate the bond between the world’s two great democracies — India and the United States,” the PM said.
“There will be and there must be a contest of ideas at home. But we must also come together as one when we speak for our nation,” he said, in what is being viewed as a veiled reference to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s statements abroad.
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Rahul’s recent visits abroad have stirred controversy back home, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party terming his criticism of the Modi government as an “attack on the nation”. It is in this context that the Prime Minister’s statements are being perceived as a remark on the former Congress MP.
The Prime Minister, often questioned by the US media and a section of its political class for discriminating against religious minorities and clamping down on dissent, invoked Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. as he lauded their contribution towards liberty, equality and justice.
“Democracy is one of our sacred and shared values. It has evolved over a long time and taken various forms of systems. Throughout history, however, one thing has been clear: democracy is the spirit that supports equality and dignity,” he said.
“Democracy is the idea that welcomes debate and discourse, democracy is a culture that gives wings to thoughts and expression. India has been blessed to have such values since times immemorial. In the evolution of the democratic spirit, India is the mother of democracy,” PM Modi added.