US President Donald Trump on Monday showered praises at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked India for the spectacular reception he received in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.
Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and a delegation of his senior officials, landed in Ahmedabad earlier in the day for his two-day trip to India.
Addressing an audience of nearly 100,000 people at the “Namaste Trump” event at the Motera Stadium later, Trump said he will always remember the remarkable hospitality.
“America loves India, America respects India and America will always be a faithful and loyal friend to the Indian people,” he said.
He then talked about Prime Minister Modi’s life and his rise in politics.
“I would like to begin by thanking my special friend – Prime Minister Modi. The Prime Minister started out as ‘chai wallah and has had a remarkable rise. Everybody loves him but I will tell you this, he is very tough,” Trump said.
“PM Modi you are not just the pride of Gujarat, you are living proof that with hard work and devotion, Indians can accomplish anything at all, anything they want. The Prime Minister is a moving story of an incredible rise,” he said.
The US President also said that five months ago America welcomed the “great Prime Minister” at a giant football stadium in Texas and today India welcomed him at the world’s largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.
He was referring to the “Howdy Modi” rally that Trump and Modi jointly appeared at in Houston, Texas to a jubilant crowd of 50,000 Indian Americans last year.
Trump also remarked about the Lok Sabha elections held last year when more than 600 million people went to the polls and gave him a landslide victory in the largest democratic elections anywhere on earth.
The Prime Minister also spoke about the bilateral ties with the US as the crowd at the Motera Stadium cheered on.
Trump left for Agra to spend some time at the Taj Mahals after the “Namaste Trump” event. He will reach Delhi later in the day and will hold talks with Indian leaders and officials on Tuesday.
