Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Modi should take inspiration from former prime minister Indira Gandhi and stand up to the president of the United States.
The 90-minute music, dance, and multimedia show featured close to 400 artists and community members from Texas and across the United States.
In the last 11 years, India and the world witnessed what he stood for, what he promised and did not deliver, and what he actually stood for and practised without fearing how history would judge him. Modi's tenure has been punctuated with headline-grabbing decisions, symbolic gestures, and stage-managed moments that continue to define his leadership and India's politics, points out Ramesh Menon.
The Howdy Modi put a dagger into the heart of the 'bipartisan consensus' in the US regarding the relations with (Modi's) India, points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Reassuring the community, Modi said that "everything is fine" in nearly eight languages, with US President Donald Trump present in the audience.
If India caves in to US pressure as Trump hopes it will, he will further try to blackmail it into submission, points out Ramesh Menon.
Trump's new rules for how countries should treat him have led to the current breakdown in India-US relations, explains Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Rashid Alvi of the party claimed, "More than Rs 1 lakh crore is being spent on the event."
"Memories from Houston, where history was made! PM @narendramodi presented a framed photograph from the #HowdyModi event to @POTUS @realDonaldTrump," Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
'Trump is likely being purposefully vague, hoping that this lack of clarity will pressure India, fearing the worst, to agree to scale back its imports of Russian oil.'
The talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Donald Trump in Washington were marked by the US president's generous praise of the Indian leader and his consideration of India's stance on several issues.
This is for the first time in recent history that the leaders of the two largest democracies would be addressing a joint rally anywhere in the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed over 50,000 Indian-Americans in Houston, Texas at the 'Howdy, Modi!' event. Here are highlights of the event in videos:
'What has India got out of Howdy India in substantive terms?' asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
The popular Indian-origin comic faced a lot of heat on social media for his episodes on Indian elections and the clampdown in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 ahead Indian Independence Day.
As per the schedule released by the White House on late Saturday night, Trump will spend 100 minutes at the NRG Stadium.
US President Donald Trump shared a video link of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's interaction with US-based popular podcaster and computer scientist Lex Fridman on his social media platform Truth Social. During the interaction lasting over three hours, Modi on Sunday said he and Trump connect well as both put their respective countries first and asserted that their mutual trust remained unshaken even when the Republican leader was out of office during Joe Biden's presidency. Modi recalled that during Trump's first term, he ignored security protocol and agreed to Modi's request to take a lap around the stadium hosting the 'Howdy Modi' event in Houston. Modi also lauded Mahatma Gandhi's legacy and described himself as a peacemaker who has nudged both Russian and Ukrainian leaders to come to the negotiating table. In the podcast, Modi also opened up on a host of foreign affairs issues and touched on various aspects of his life journey.
The gates of NRG Stadium will open at 6 am to accommodate and seat 50,000 people by 9 am, after which cultural programme will begin and continue till 10:30 am, and will be broadcast live in Hindi, English and Spanish languages followed by the address of the two leaders.
During his visit to Modi's home state Gujarat, Trump along with the Indian prime minister would participate in a grand roadshow, planned along a 10-km decked-up stretch from the Ahmedabad airport to the Sabarmati Ashram. The US president would then visit the Sabarmati Ashram and then address a gathering, likely to be attended by over one lakh people.
In addition to Modi's address, the programme is also expected to include a cultural programme that showcases the Indian-American community and will be broadcast live online and on television channels, reaching over 1 billion people across the US and India, the organisers said.
Indian-Americans in Houston are very enthusiastic about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump jointly addressing the mega 'Howdy, Modi' rally, an event they believe would take the bilateral ties to a new level.
During his nearly 25-minute speech, Trump praised Modi's economic reforms and said these reforms have lifted more than three million people out of poverty. "And that is an incredible number," he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised US President Donald Trump in a podcast, describing him as a "man of courage" and saying they share a "mutual trust" based on their "America First" and "India First" philosophies. Modi recalled Trump's resilience after being shot at during the US election campaign and his willingness to engage with the public at a community event in Houston. He also highlighted the shared nationalistic approach they both embrace.
The chemistry between two leaders was clearly visible when both the leaders walked towards the stage hand-in-hand.
Official sources said Modi also congratulated Trump on the performance of his Republican Party in the US Congressional elections, as both leaders affirmed that they would work together for world peace.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a rousing welcome on Sunday when he arrived at the crowded NRG stadium to address the Indian-American community along with US President Donald Trump.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met United States President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday.
Lavishing high praise on Modi, Trump described him "great", "a friend", "nicest human being" and a leader who is tough in dealing with India's adversaries when required.
US shale oil would act as an alternative to India's heavy dependency on Russian crude, which is currently facing sanctions.
With more than 50,000 people registering for the Houston event and the numbers expected to climb, the organisers have asked those who may not be able to attend to cancel and so open up slots for the hopeful, and cautioning those coming from afar to book their air tickets soon.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President-elect Donald Trump have 'reaffirmed their commitment' to working together to further strengthen bilateral ties across a range of sectors, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
'It showed me that this man had courage. He makes his own decisions, but he also trusted me enough in that moment to walk with me into the crowd,' Modi tells Lex Fridman on his podcast.
'When compared to many of America's treaty allies in Asia, Modi 3.0 is on a much stronger footing.'
The event is the third meeting between the two leaders in three months, after the G-20 summit in Japan in June and the G-7 summit in France last month.
'Are we to believe that coordinated moves by the Canadian and US authorities are no longer taking place?', asks Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'In the next three decades up to 2050 there will be three important players at the world level.' 'India, US and China will be playing a very important role globally as the largest economies in the world.' 'These three countries will have to interact with each other much more closely because what they do and what they decide will impact the entire world.'
Over 24,000 people have registered for the 'Modi & US Progress Together' event in Uniondale, New York.
President Trump made these remarks on Monday while talking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to Joint Base Andrews from Florida.
"Indian-Americans are an 'organic bridge' between the world's two largest democracies," he said.
Trump described Modi as "the nicest human being", saying the Indian leader is "a friend of mine".
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