The Gandhi Statue situated in front of the Indian Embassy saw a long queue of fans this morning where Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his floral tribute at the statue of the ‘Father of the Nation’.
A long queue of Indian Americans could be seen smiling brightly, holding and waving tri-colour flags while greeting the Prime Minister.
Many resident Indians who came from different parts of the US were seen attending this event to catch a glimpse of Prime Minister Modi.
An enthusiastic fan waiting to see Prime Minister said, “We are feeling very great.”
Another person of Indian origin who came all the way from Fairfax said, “This is the first time we are meeting the Prime Minister.”
“We really like the speeches he gives and we believe he has the potential to do something for the country,” said yet another American Indian proudly.
That Prime Minister Modi has won the hearts of the people far and wide away from India is proven with a supporter of Prime Minister said, “We have got a Prime Minister after sixty long years who is going to change the country and hence we are here.”
Another fan cheerfully said, “Modiji said terrorism divides and tourism unites, so he is uniting us all in the world. Modiji ki Jai Ho!!!”
“Very interesting, his personality is electrifying. Prime Minister gave a ‘rockstar’ speech, looking forward to see more what he is doing here,” said a charmed supporter of Prime Minister.
When asked why he is a rockstar, up came the answer from a proud fan of Prime Minister Modi, “He is clear what he wants to do for the people of India.”
Others heaped showers of praise and said they are confident that he will deliver as Prime Minister . “He is trying to address the basic stuffs in India that is very interesting. So he is not overpromising so far,” said an Indian expatriate.
An senior citizen of Indian origin said, “I have seen from Morarji Desai to Manmohan Singh. But this is the first time I see somebody visionary. He has a vision for India and I am pretty sure he is going to take India towards the right direction. There will be problem, but India will slowly but surely march towards progress.”
That the atmosphere is so charged up can be felt with one lady supporter of Prime Minister said, “Never got up for anyone , but for our Prime Minister we are ready to do anything.”
Some were seen holding placards which showed DC loves Modi , with a heart symbol to signify that amidst roars of fans cheering with Prime Minister’s name.
The Indian delegation comprising of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Foreign Secretary Sujata Singh and India’s Ambassador to the United States S. Jaishankar and his wife, besides embassy officials and staff were also present on the occasion.
The Gandhi Statue in front of the Indian Embassy near DuPont Circle here was dedicated on September 16, 2000 during a State Visit of then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the presence of the then US President Bill Clinton.
The iconic bronze statue was designed by eminent Indian Gautam Pal and was gifted to the US Government by India.
Prime Minister is scheduled to visit the historic Lincoln Memorial and the recently established memorial for Martin Luther King Jr.
Besides that he will meet US President Barack Obama at the Oval Office for the summit meeting. (ANI)