“A great honour…,” says PM Modi as he addresses joint session of US Congress

Washington: Addressing the joint session of the US Congress for a historic second time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that it is an exceptional privilege to do it twice, adding that there have been even more momentous developments in another Al – America and India.

PM Modi received standing ovation and applause when he said, “There are millions here, who have roots in India. Some of them sit proudly in this chamber. There is one behind me, who has made history. I am told that the Samosa Caucus is now the flavour of the House,”
Addressing the joint session of the US Congress, PM Modi said, “It is always a great honour to address the US Congress. It is an exceptional privilege to do so twice. For this honour, I extend my deepest gratitude on behalf of 1.4 billion people of India. I see that nearly half of you were here in 2016. I can also see the enthusiasm of the old friends and the new friends in the other half.”

Honoured to address the US Congress. Gratitude to all the members of Congress who attended today. Your presence signifies the strength of India-USA ties and our shared commitment to a better future. I look forward to continued partnership in fostering global peace and progress. pic.twitter.com/7VSVT3Hr05

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 23, 2023

“Our era is at a crossroads. Through the long and widening road that we have travelled we have made the test of friendship, he added.

Chants of “Modi, Modi….” were heard as the Prime Minister addressed the joint session of the US Congress on Thursday. PM Modi also received a standing ovation twice, while speaking.

Speaking further on his previous visits to the US, Prime Minister Modi said, “Standing here seven Junes ago, when Hamilton swept all the awards, I said that the hesitations of history were behind us. Now, when our era is at a crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century.”

He also said that there have been many advances in AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the past few years.

PM Modi coined a new acronym to showcase the partnership between US and India saying that there has been even more momentous development in another AI- America and India.

“In the past few years, there have been many advances in AI- Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, there has been even more momentous development in another AI- America and India,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said as he addressed the joint sitting of the US Congress today.

“This is not an era of war but it is one of dialogue and diplomacy and we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering. The stability of the Indo-Pacific region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership. We share a vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. More than 2 decades after the 9/11 attacks and more than a decade after 26/11 in Mumbai, terrorism and radicalism still remain a danger for the whole world,” he said.

“Last year India celebrated 75 years of independence. Every milestone is important but this one was special. We celebrated a remarkable journey of our 75 years of freedom after thousand years of foreign rule in one form or another. This was not just a celebration of democracy but also of diversity..,”PM Modi said.

Now, when our era is at crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century,” Modi said

PM Modi said he can relate to the battles of patience, persuasion and policy.

“I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I am delighted to see you come together to celebrate the bonds between two great democracies – India and the United States,” the prime minister said.

“India is the home to all faiths in the world and we celebrate all of them. In India, diversity is a natural way of life, today the world wants to know more and more about India,” he added.

Prime Minister Modi’s first visit to the US took place in 2014, during which he had a working visit and delivered his inaugural speech at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

In 2016, he returned to attend the Nuclear Security Summit and held a meeting with then-President Barack Obama at the White House. That same year, PM Modi made another trip to the US and addressed a range of topics, including terrorism, climate change, and the strong Indo-US partnership, in his first speech to the US Congress.

Prime Minister Modi, on his first-ever state visit to the United States, received a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival at the White House.

Upon his arrival at the White House lawns, PM Modi who was dressed in a traditional white kurta pyjama teamed with a powder blue jacket was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

A US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin assembled to greet PM Modi.

The Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu were also present.