US lawmakers take PM Modi's autographs, click selfies with him after joint address to Congress
Modi signing autographs
On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the US Congress for the second time. His nearly one-hour-long addresswas attended by many lawmakers and the Indian-American community.
Modi’s speech, which touched upon various key themes, received 15 standing ovations, 79 applauses.
This time, his speech was longer in duration than last time, which was about 45 minutes in 2016.
As soon as he ended his address, many US lawmakers were seen rushing to Modi to interact with him, and also take his autograph, and click selfies.
During this time, chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' ('Long live mother India). and 'Vande Mataram' (praise the motherland) reverberated the premises.
Among those who sought Modi’s autograph was Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy. The Indian PM autographed McCarthy's joint session address booklet.
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Modi thanked McCarthy
Modi thanked McCarthy for allowing him to address the joint session of the US Congress.
"It was a privilege to welcome Prime Minister @narendramodi to the US Capitol, one of the greatest symbols of democracy in the world. I look forward to increased economic and national security ties between our two great nations," tweeted McCarthy.
Before the State Dinner, McCarthy said he had a great time with him.
"We had a great time with Prime Minister Modi. We have a very strong relationship, PM Modi continues to make that grow and make both nations stronger," McCarthy said.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, who also attended the event, said the visit of Modi reflects growing India-US ties.
"It has been wonderful, beyond my wildest dreams. It has grown so strong, this is not just the relationship between two men, or two governments, its really two peoples," said Garcetti.
There were some notable moments during the prime minister's speech.
While talking about Americans with Indian roots, he pointed at US Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, "There are many Americans with Indian roots sitting in our midst. There is one behind me, who has made history."
The remarks drew applause as well as laughter in the assembly. But the members couldn’t control their laughter when he said, "I am told that the Samosa Caucus is more the flavour of the House."
What's the 'Samosa Caucus'?
Subramanian Raja Krishnamoorthi, the representative for Illinois's 8th Congressional district in the United States, popularised the term 'Samosa Caucus' to describe the growing community of Indian-American lawmakers, commonly referred to as "desi."
This caucus includes notable individuals such as Ro Khanna, Pramila Jaipal, Shri Thanedar, and Ami Bera, all of whom belong to the Democratic Party. While the 'Samosa Caucus' is not an official caucus, the shared cultural identity fosters closer ties and facilitates engagement with the US Congress.
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