U.S. President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during an official state dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Many observers said the Indian prime minister’s base is now reinvigorated, with supporters hailing the US trip – his first with the full diplomatic status of an official state visit – as a roaring success.
U.S. President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during an official state dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 22, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States last week, which resulted in investment opportunities, defence deals and the promise of thousands of new jobs, has helped him gain crucial momentum ahead of India’s general elections next year.
Many observers said his base is now reinvigorated, with supporters hailing the US trip – his first with the full diplomatic status of an official state visit – as a roaring success.
Ceremonial events such as a state dinner and his address to the US Congress, which are typically reserved for the US' closest partners, show that India’s stature under Mr Modi has reached new heights, said veteran journalist Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, who has written an acclaimed biography of the Indian prime minister.
“Every leader who hugs Mr Modi is actually an endorsement of his stature,” said Mr Mukhopadhyay, author of Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.
“And because today, we are living in the era where people’s sense of history is very short, it appears that there has never been any Indian leader of this stature anywhere in the world.”
Many see the state visit as a vindication of his record as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, when he was denied a visa by US officials due to his alleged involvement in the deadly sectarian riots in 2002.
However, questions over minority rights and democratic backsliding in the world’s most populous country were raised once again during his visit.
Some 70 US lawmakers wrote to President Joe Biden in an attempt to pressure his administration to take up human rights issues with Mr Modi.
Former US President Barack Obama also weighed in, stating that these issues have to be raised since religious tensions could pull India apart.
On being probed about the rights of religious minorities, Mr Modi said there is no space for discrimination since India is a democracy.
But many Indians believe he should have given a more substantive response to these remarks, especially as cases of attacks against Muslims continue.
New Delhi resident Vidhi Sharma said: “He was asked a lot of questions that our Indian media was not able to ask him basically, because he would never come and do a press conference like this. And when he was faced with those questions, he was not able to answer them.”
Observers said despite claims that there is no discrimination in India, Mr Modi and his party have been accused of toeing an ideological line that paints Indian-Muslims as the descendants of Islamic invaders or adversarial outsiders – a charge the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied.
Critics also accuse the Biden administration of ignoring Mr Modi’s human rights record.
Yet, political analysts said the US has to adopt a careful position and keep India on friendly terms as a counterweight to China’s rising influence.
They believe Washington does not want to irk the Modi government, which seems poised to perform well at the 2024 general elections.
Meanwhile, the US rolling out the red carpet for Mr Modi is a big deal for his supporters, who believe India is being recognised as an emerging superpower under his leadership.
New Delhi resident Navneeta Sen said: “I think that he’s a global leader and the deal that he has signed with the USA will benefit his 2024 elections.”