Washington: Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will not address the US Congress when he went for the summit with the US President Barack Obama.
Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives, John Boehner has sent a “welcome but” invitation to Modi when lawmakers keen to get away from Washington ahead of the November Congressional elections.
Boehner told Modi through a July 30 letter that he was writing to him “for the purpose of making you aware of the interest that exists in the US House of Representatives in inviting you to address a Joint Meeting of Congress at some future date.”
He wrote, “If not for the unpredictability of the House schedule in late September of this year, an invitation for you to address a Joint Meeting during your upcoming trip to the United States would have been extended.”
He also wrote, “I would be very interested in exploring with you the possibility of a visit to the United States Capitol and an address to a Joint Meeting of Congress should your travels bring you back to our country in the months and years ahead.”
“This is disappointing news for many in India and the United States who hoped that a US invitation to address Congress would be a historic chance to strengthen ties,” wrote the Diplomat noting “US Congress Misses Historic Chance to Honour India’s Modi.”
However, the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) which had launched a two-month long campaign to urge Boehner to invite Modi gave a positive spin to the development.
It said that the USINPAC membership came away with an exceptional understanding that the journey – building a case for an enduring bilateral relationship – has been more important than the destination after a meeting with Boehner.
But Brad Sherman, a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and 87 other House this week again urged the House leadership to keep Congress in session from Sep 29 to Oct 2 to “afford Prime Minister Modi an opportunity to address a joint session during his visit.”
Meanwhile, the Indian American Community Foundation plans to host Modi at a special event being held on Sep 28 at Madison Square Garden in New York to provide him a platform to officially address the Indian-American community in the US.
Bureau Report
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