Narendra Modi Pays Tribute To Gandhi Statue At Indian Embassy In Washington

Correction: The last line of the story has been changed to clarify that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has receieved criticism for his alleged involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots and not for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as earlier stated.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to a statue of Mohandas K. Gandhi outside the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C., Tuesday just prior to his meeting with President Barack Obama. A large crowd greeted Modi at the embassy with chants of “Modi! Modi!” similar to his reception in New York last week.

India Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj accompanied Modi to the embassy and also paid tribute to Gandhi. Modi and his Indian delegation arrived in New York last week for the opening of the United Nations General Assembly. He spoke to a packed Madison Square Garden on Sunday and is now wrapping up a two-day trip to Washington to meet with U.S. officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. Modi and Obama signed a Washington Post opinion piece, outlining their plans for deeper ties between India and the United States. Modi received a fair amount of protests and opposition to go along with his praises in the U.S., particularly in regard to his alleged involvement in the violent anti-Muslim riots in his home state of Gujarat in 2002.