PM Modi meets NYC mayor Bill de Blasio, discusses urban space, mega city policing
Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his maiden US visit landed in New York city. The Prime Minister will meet US President Barack Obama and is scheduled to address the UN General Assembly during his five-day visit. Mr Modi will meet New York city Mayor Bill de Blasio today, 26th September.
PM Modi's visit to the United States comes during a time when the ties between both the nations are strained, especially following last year's arrest an Indian diplomat - Devyani Khobragade in New York on visa fraud charges.
"The Prime Minister is always looking forward, not back," India's foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said in a media briefing recently.
As both the nations try to revive their mutual relations, PM Modi would be looking forward for US cooperation in the defence sector. Both countries will also seek each other's help in boosting their respective economies. His visit also highlights interacting with the heads of major US corporate chiefs including those of Google, IBM, GE, Goldman Sachs, Boeing and many influential Indian-Americans.
PM's visit also holds significance because it shows that US has moved ahead of Modi being denied of a visa in 2005 after the Gujarat riots that killed more than thousands of innocent civilians.
Meanwhile, here is what's happening in New York
Prime Minister landed in New York's John F Kennedy airport and was received by Indian Ambassador to US, S Jaishankar and senior officials present at the airport to welcome him, PMO Tweets.
Senior officials are present at the airport to welcome Prime Minister @narendramodi. He landed in New York City a short while ago.
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 26, 2014PM Narendra Modi in his maroon jacket and black trousers greets supporters outside New York Palace Hotel, supporters are seen greeting him with the chant of "Modi, Modi," people are also heard shouting "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat mata ki jai" many are seen honling banners that read "New Yorkers Love Modi." A supporter was also seen blowing conch outside New York Palace Hotel.
Watch PM Narendra Modi greeting his supporters outside New York Palace Hotel (Video Credit: DD News)
On the other hand, a New York court has issued summons against PM Modi for his alleged role in Gujarat riots of 2002, when he was Chief Minister. The summons were issued on Thursday by the US Federal Court for the Southern District of New York on a civil lawsuit filed by a city-based American Justice Center (AJC), a nonprofit human rights organisation, along with two survivors of the post-Godhra violence.
The human rights group also offered a $10,000 reward for anyone who can serve on India's prime minister a summons issued by a federal court.
Countering the issue, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that he dosen't anticipate the lawsuit is going to have any impact on PM Modi's very important visit to the US.
Read: Lawsuit against PM Modi will not have any impact on Indo-US talks
Later addressing to the questions about the lawsuit filed against Modi, Earnest said that as a general legal principle, sitting heads of government enjoy immunity from lawsuits in American courts while in the United States. "Sitting heads of government also enjoy personal inviolability while in the United States, which means they cannot be personally handed or delivered papers to begin the process of a lawsuit," he said.
For now, PM Modi is meets New York city Mayor Bill de Blasio and Professor Harold Varmus (Director, US National Cancer Institute).
New York: PM Narendra Modi meets Professor Harold Varmus (Director, US National Cancer Institute) pic.twitter.com/YfjnBcRu0O
— ANI (@ANI_news) September 26, 2014PM Modi discusses about urban space, public housing, megacity policing, threats to big cities, crowd management with the Mayor of NYC Mr. Bill de Blasio.
