Prez Trump to join PM at mega 'Howdy, Modi!' diaspora event in Houston

Washington/New Delhi: Donald Trump will join Narendra Modi at the mega "Howdy, Modi!" diaspora event in Houston on Sunday to reaffirm the Indo-US strategic ties, the White House has announced, a decision hailed by the Prime Minister as a "special gesture" by the US President to underscore the special bond between the two countries.

Emphasising the new bonhomie in the India-US ties under the Trump administration, 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.

More than 50,000 Indian-Americans from across the US have registered for the September 22 "Howdy, Modi! Shared Dreams, Bright Futures" event to be held at the sprawling NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

"Howdy", short for 'How do you do?', is a friendly greeting commonly used in southwestern United States.

In a statement on Sunday, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said, "It (Modi-Trump joint rally) will be a great opportunity to emphasise the strong ties between the people of the US and India, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship."

Hours after the White House announcement, Prime Minister Modi in a series of tweets said he looks forward to joining the Indian origin community in welcoming President Trump at the programme.

"A special gesture by @POTUS, signifying the special friendship between India and USA...highlights the strength of the relationship and recognition of the contribution of the Indian community to American society and economy," the prime minister tweeted.

This would also be the first time that an American president would be addressing thousands of Indian-Americans at one place in the US. It comes ahead of the 2020 presidential elections in the US in which the influential Indian-American community members are expected to play a greater role. President Trump, a Republican, has already announced his candidature.

India's Ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla called Trump's participation in the "Howdy, Modi!" event "historic" and "unprecedented".

"It is reflective of the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that has developed between India and the US," Shringla told PTI. He said it was also reflective of the people-to-people contact that provides the "organic" linkage between the two countries. PTI