California, Jun 21 (Agencies) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, once denied a visa to enter the United States over massacres of Muslims, is expected to receive the honor of addressing a joint session of the US Congress during a visit to Washington in September.
California Republican Ed Royce, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote to House Speaker John Boehner on Friday and asked that he invite Modi to address a joint session of the House and Senate during his trip. "In every aspect - whether it be in political, economic or security relations - the United States has no more important partner in South Asia," the letter said. "It is not an overstatement to say that the US-India relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century."
Boehner's office did not immediately announce a response to the letter, which was also signed by North Carolina Republican Representative George Holding. Congressional aides said they expected an invitation would be issued to the Indian leader.
The administration of President George W. Bush denied Modi a visa in 2005 under a 1998 US law barring entry to foreigners who have committed "particularly severe violations of religious freedom."
In 2002, when Modi had just become Gujarat's chief minister, more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots in the state. Modi denied any wrongdoing. India's Supreme Court ruled in 2010 he had no case to answer.
President Barack Obama congratulated Modi on his election victory in mid-May and invited him to the White House.
The United States, which sees India as a natural ally and potential counterbalance to China in Asia, is eager to expand business and security cooperation with the Modi government.
However, the relationship has failed to live up to that billing, due to bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles in India to expanded business ties and a political dispute over US treatment of an Indian diplomat accused of mistreating her nanny, which some analysts blamed on a lack of policy focus by the Obama administration.
Foreign heads of states and heads of government have been invited to address joint meetings of Congress since the early 1800s, normally to underscore their countries' close allegiance with the United States.
The last such address was South Korean President Park Geun-hye's more than a year ago, on May 8, 2013.
Comment on this article
Leo, UK
Sun, Jun 22 2014May be some Gujju Vice Chancellor of any University in the world may consider giving a Doctorate to honour the excellent unmatchable skills of distorting historic & development facts and champion skills of hurling slurs / sarcastic remarks during election campaigns.
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Leo, UK
Sun, Jun 22 2014In addition to what you have mentioned Mr. Wilfred, one must also not forget here that US has invited the PM of India and not Mr. Modi as CM of Gujarat whose rhetoric & pronouncement in public does not speak very high about him as an individual. It is the respect shown to our great India and doesn't matter to US as to who is sitting in that chair. Forget Mr. Modi, even if Ms. Rakhi Sawant or Ms. Sunny Leone had become the PM of India, US would have extended the same level of respect.
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Leo, UK
Sun, Jun 22 2014US Administration might have thought instead of sending their MPs on useless foreign study tours by burning the treasury, this time for a change, they thought of inviting the ring master of political circus for some entertainment at home. Lagta hai ki ab US ke bhi manhoos din aaneywaley hain !!
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Sudheer, Mangalore
Sun, Jun 22 2014Leo, US citizens are not fool like brit & its grand children, they know how to play & whom to respect.
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Wilfred J. Lewis, Matpady-Brahmavar/ New York, USA
Sat, Jun 21 2014NOTING NEW here, this has been the procedure of the past. The visiting Prime Minister of India, is head of the largest Democracy in the world, and the US is oldest Democracy of the world, a role model for the entire Democratic World. Previous Prime Ministers of India, have been invited to address US congress, whenever they have won with a peoples mandate, now Mr. Modi's turn.
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Vincy, Bangkok
Sat, Jun 21 2014I feel that by inviting PM,they must be having a fun Gala Dinner with our PM. They might be laughing at the situation of visa reject and PM elect which is a free pass to USA.
In the past the USA authorities have grilled the USA citizens who invited Modi to USA for a function and there after all Gujju bhais disowned Modi on fear of similar raids.
The PM should not go and he should invite the USA delegation to India and discuss any business in India.
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thomas, india
Sat, Jun 21 2014Can India develop like USA?
If so, what do we need to do
India needs American expertise...
and experience....
all quality works for Infrastructure...health...medical equipment...Defense industries...agriculture.... Engineering....Make India like usa?
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Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Dear Mr. thomas, india,
The person who campaigned for Chaaiwaala Mr. Modi, Himself doesn't want to stay in India and left to USA because his:
ACCHHE ACCHHE DHIN HAI IN USA.
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RSRB, Kundapura / Singapore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Nariyu thotake hoyithu
......................
......................
Dhraakshi huLi endhithu
Dhraakshi huLi endhithu
Odi hoyithu
Modi got sweet dhraakshi
Congi got sweat shi.. shi..
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Rosario Fernandes, Kallianpur
Sat, Jun 21 2014I hope while addressing the US Congress, Modi will not say, 'American culture is more than 5000 years old'. (Where as its only 500 years old).
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Amit Pai, Kodialbail/Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014"ACHHE DIN ANEWALE HAIN " > Schhe Din JAANE Wale Hai"
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Pra, Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014As if your English is any good....
Dont throw stones if you stay in a glass house.
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geoffrey, hat hill
Sat, Jun 21 2014He'd better take someone like Smriti Irani along as his spokesperson.
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abhyankar , mumbai
Sat, Jun 21 2014time always changes, america dint issue visa on congress people instruction. now they have to
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Amith, Udupi
Sat, Jun 21 2014Obama needs 56 inch chest to understand modis English , hope modi knows there is difference betwn US congress and INC and hope he won't address Obama as sahezada and Hilary Clinton as Italian madam and make a laughing stock of our nation
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juliet Mascarenhas, Bejai
Sat, Jun 21 2014By the way who is going to fill the place of Jasodha Ben.
Good that he cannot converse in english. if any body questions where is your wife he may reply I never carry knife with me.
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Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Dear Ramesh S, mangalore,,
UPA HAS WON.
CONGRESS NO.ONE.
MODIFIED FROM MODISIN.
BJP RIOTS HAS BEEN DONE.
BJP'S HAVE COMMUNAL CROWN.
BLIND TAKES OF OF MODISIN DOWN.
INDIA'S ECONOMY HAD GROWN IN MOUN.
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RSRB, Kundapura / Singapore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
Pappu is hiding under this pyramid goun..:-)
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Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Dear RSRB, Kundapura / Singapore,
Open your eyes and write your comment don't write and say blindly.
MODI IS CRIMINALS KA GURIKAR.
AB KI BAAR CRIMINALS KI SARKAR.
ANPAD SMRITI IRANI HRD MEIM DARBAR.
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jeetendra hegde, mumbai
Sun, Jun 22 2014wah...bada jnani hai tum...himalay mein bas jao....
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RSRB, Kundapura / Singapore
Sun, Jun 22 2014Dear Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
I have opened my eyes and could not convince myself on your line in view of no supporting evidences.
1. The only politician in India who underwent hostile media, UPA government and sicklulars, but still could not prove anything since last 12 years. So your "MODI IS CRIMINALS KA GURIKAR" does not stand.
2. A person accused and convicted are different in the eyes of law. Hence, no convicted person here like Lalu, Raja, etc. Your statement AB KI BAAR CRIMINALS KI SARKAR also does not stand.
3. As per the constitution, there is educational qualification set for ministers. So no issue. Most of the innovative ideas in India was given by less educated. Our forefathers may be less educted, but they did wonders. Hence, ANPAD SMRITI IRANI HRD MEIM DARBAR also does not stand.
Now opening eyes is required from your end. Can you please???
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Rahul, Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Now US lawmakers can enjoy Feku talks. Indian voters got duped by these talks and hope he will don same to Americans.
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Ramesh S, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014you mean US congress also will be in danger!! LOL
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Mukesh Anchan, Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Good to know Our honorable PM speaks in Hindi at Washington. Really proud of that. Atleast we got one person who is capable to show the power of India to US.
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Ramesh S, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Joseph, english speaking 3rd generation Congress kins like Sachin pilot, Deora, Pria dutt, Karthi chidambran, deshpande, Riyaz wiped out by Hindi speaking MODI & AMIT shah co,.!! Only one won that is US learned Rahul aka pappu..if he speak no need TV serial comedy circus..thats why he occupied last bench in parliament..
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Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Dear Ramesh,
THOSE WHO ARE LAST WILL BE FIRST.
And now Modi's Modified Hindi is a ModiSin for South?!
Wait ab shuru huva hai.
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Ramesh S, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014you have to bear him for 5 years no other way..the way Congress scrambling now a days, it seems next election from 44 they will slip to 22..
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Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014dEAR Ramesh S, mangalore,
They all lost only because of literate and illiterate blind voters and didn't had been defeated from wise voters.
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Ramesh S, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014But last year UPA won!!..if we go by your analysis, last years literate Indian citizens become illiterate this time?..peculiar case..common man accept the reality..
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juliet Mascarenhas, Bejai
Sat, Jun 21 2014English man jaitly choked in the Hindi speaking company.
Last bench is always on the top.
Last floor is the top most floor.
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Jayaprakash, Mangalore/Dubai
Sat, Jun 21 2014Feku cant speak english and they don't know Hindi !
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Dinesh Poojary, Kundapura/Bengaluru
Sat, Jun 21 2014Don't worry dear. They will arrange translators/interpreters.
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Ramesh S, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Peter & Jossey, MODI is better than your DALLAS,TEXAS US learn ex-CM & ex FM Congi SM Krsihna who read whole speech meant for Pakistan in UN..LOL....
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Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Dear Ramesh S, mangalore.
Forget SM Krishna.
Vajpayee was reading his prepared speech in the congress.
Modi English.
VOTER = WATER.
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Aam Indian, Mlore/Bahrain
Sat, Jun 21 2014I am not surprised of one butcher honouring the other. America has done enough carnage in Iraq and the people there are still paying the price for it.We all know what Modi has done in Gujarat.
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Lingappa, Kuppepadavu/Amsterdam
Sat, Jun 21 2014Its really a matter of Honor for our elected PM to be invited. Meanwhile I still see some readers resort to hate mongering again. Who did they expect some Joker like RAul Vinci Khan or his dumb puppet called MMS.
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Peter, Bangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014I request US lawmakers to learn Gujarati or Hindi Because our ..
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Ramesh S, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014..It will be INDIA pride moment if he address US congress joint session in HINDI which is our National language..Engish is England national language..by the way, Congress during last leg of general election said it will even support third front..if so Mulayam,Mamata whould have PM..ever heard them speaking english..
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Prabhu, Mlore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Where and when and by whom was Hindi made our National language ?
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Peter, Bangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014I remember our Yeddy traveled to America to receive Doctorate..
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Jossey Saldanha, Mapusa
Sat, Jun 21 2014Can he address in Gujarati because in English he reads Bhutan as Nepal...
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JANARDHANA ACHARYA, BANGALORE/UDIPI
Sat, Jun 21 2014What, a great Move.
We need to see how it percolates down to we like people and our future.
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SURESH MAROLI, MANGALORE/BAHRAIN
Sat, Jun 21 2014MODIfied USA.
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j.anata, Mangaluru / Bengaluru
Sat, Jun 21 2014This is a good move by the US administration, putting behind the sack of past & thinking ahead. Modi needs this respite by the US given the turbulent past record that he has had with them, its definately good times ahead for the Country as a whole!
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Valerian Dsouza, Udupi/Mumbai
Sat, Jun 21 2014I appreciate the move by U.S. They have shown flexibility, Past is Past. When Indians have democratically elected Mr. Modi as their P.M. then why should U.S. deny him? Give due respects to the Country head.
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PRABHU, Mlore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Bhagat Singh was a terrorist to the British..............
..but
To us Indians he is a Hero and Martyr !
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Mahendra Shetty, Mumbai Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014WHAT WE TOLD THREE MONTH BACK THAT EVERYBODY COMES UNDER MODI INCLUDING AMERICA.....
HE IS HAVING ALL THE CAPACITY TO LEAD INDIA TO SUPER POWER....
44 SEATS PARTY DESTROYED INDIA BUT PEOPLE ARE WISE NOW AND THEY KNOW THEIR FUTURE WITH WHOM....
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Amin Bhoja, Patte / Riyadh
Sat, Jun 21 2014Now US will say India is one of the Great Democratic Country in the World and we respect it's Democracy System...Blah Blah... Blah...
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Ahmed, Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014India is 3rd largest economy in the world. USA or any country want to keep good relation with India. It is INDIA which is important. PMs, CMs, Presidents keep changing. India will always stand.
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RSRB, Kundapura / Singapore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Ahmed, Mangalore
But some UPA MPs earlier wrote a letter against fellow Indian and shown a 3rd class behaviour of 3rd biggest economy
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R.Fernandes, Dubai
Sat, Jun 21 2014History of india says that indians conspired against indians hence it was a easy task for foreigners to invade india. Nothing new. we have the habit of pulling others down for survival.
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Ahmed, Mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Though we are 3rd largest economy, Behavior of UPA or NDA will remain same.
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RSRB, Kundapura / Singapore
Sat, Jun 21 2014Ahmed, Mangalore
Those wrote letter against Modi are from UPA. NDA or CPIM can not stoop so low.
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Ramesh S, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014..after decimating Congress in INDIA, MODI heading to addrees US Congress session..what an achievement..where are those 65 traitors who sent memorandum to Barack to ban visa to MODI..whether they won election or lost deposit..some research required..
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jeevan, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014ha.ha.ha...
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Dinesh Poojary, Kundapura/Bengaluru
Sat, Jun 21 2014They know Modi can create REVOLUTION and REFORMATION in the world.
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R.Fernandes, Dubai
Sat, Jun 21 2014We have given him chance. First let him finish in India later we will think of world.
Baayig bathina poora panondu uppar marayare.
Mande bechha aapundu!
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PEDDU, MANGALURU
Sat, Jun 21 2014THE USA IS AN OPPORTUNIST !!! NOW YOU CAN SEE THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN INDIAN LAW MAKERS/BREAKERS AND USA !!
ACHHE DIN ANEWALE HAIN !!!!
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jeevan, mangalore
Sat, Jun 21 2014This is called MODIPOWER...
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