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Howdy, Modi | ‘Trump Calls Me Tough Negotiator But…’: PM At Houston

PM Narendra Modi Is In Houston During His Week-long Visit To The US - All Live Updates

News Nation Bureau New Delhi Updated on: 23 Sep 2019, 00:35 AM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the mega 'Howdy, Modi' event at Houston with over 50,000 Indian-Americans present at the NRG stadium. "Howdy, my friends?" he greeted people sitting there. US President Donald Trump was also present at the mega event.         

"If you ask me, 'Howdy, Modi', my answer is - everything is great in India," he said amid loud applause from the audience. The event was organised by the non-profit Texas India Forum, with the tagline 'Shared Dreams, Bright Futures'.

Here Are The Highlights:

12:15 am: PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump take a lap around the NRG stadium in Houston. 

12:12 am: PM Modi ends his speech.

12:10 am: India has started preparing & working to become a $5 trillion economy. We are working on bettering infrastructure, investment & export. We are building a people-friendly, development-friendly and investment-friendly atmosphere in India: PM Modi

12:07 am: President Trump I want you to come to India, with your family. Our friendship will take our shared dreams and our vibrant future to new heights: PM Modi

12:05 am: Terrorism were exploiting the situation in Jammu And Kashmir. Discrimination against women and Dalits in J&K have come to an end. Now the rights and privileges promised to all citizens of India will also be extended to all in J&K : PM

12:04 am: 9/11 in the US or the Mumbai attacks in India, the brainchild is always found in the same place. It is high time we fight a decisive battle against the perpetrators and supporters of terrorism: PM Modi

12:03 am: Some people, who can't control their country, are having problems with what is going on in India. Their politics is hatred towards India and cultivate terrorism. You and the entire world knows who they are: PM Modi

12:02 am: Time has come for a decisive battle against terrorism and against those who promote terror. I want to stress on the fact that in this fight, President Trump is standing firmly: PM Modi

12:00 am: Article 370 had deprived people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh of development. Terrorist and separatist elements were misusing the situation. Now after abrogation, people there have got equal rights: PM Modi.

11:56 pm: We have also bid farewell to Article 370, it had deprived the people of J&K and Ladakh of many benefits: PM Modi.

11:53 pm: We have given equal priority to welfare and farewell. On the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on this Oct 2, India will bade goodbye to open defecation: PM Modi

11:51 pm: It is often said that data is the new oil. I would like to add that data is the new gold. Industry 4.0 focuses only on data. India provides data at the cheapest rate in the entire world: PM Modi

11:48 pm: In seven decades, the country's rural sanitation was at 38%. In the last five years, we made 11 crore toilets. Today, rural sanitation stands at 99%: PM Modi 

11:46 pm: Today, India wants to grow at a faster speed than ever before. It is challenging the people who think nothing is going to change, ever. In the last 5 years, 130 crore Indians have brought unprecedented results in different sectors: PM Modi

11:45 pm: The formation of New India is India's biggest oath at the moment. The nation is working very hard to realize the dream. We are competing with ourselves, challenging ourselves and changing ourselves: PM Modi

11:44 pm: In India, cooking gas connection was just at 55% in the past. It has been raised to 95% in the last five years. Rural road connectivity was also at 55% only. In the last five years, we have taken it to 97% : PM Modi

11:44 pm: In seven decades, the country's rural sanitation was at 38%. In the last five years, we made 11 crore toilets. Today, rural sanitation stands at 99%: PM Modi

11:43 pm: We are working tirelessly to achieve a New India: PM

11:41 pm:  Today India is challenging the mindset of some people who believe that - nothing can change. Now we are aiming high and we are achieving higher: PM Modi

11:40 pm: The 2019 Lok Sabha elections waved the flag of Indian democracy throughout the world. 61 crore people participated in it. This is approximately double the total population of the US: PM Modi 

11:38 pm: Unity in Diversity is our emblem. It is the basic fabric of our vibrant democracy. This is our power and our inspiration. The 50,000 Indians present in this stadium today are representatives of our great heritage: PM Modi

11:37 pm: We want to take India to newer heights in the 21st century: PM

11:36 pm: Our languages are a great representation of our liberal and democratic society. For centuries, thousands of languages have peacefully co-existed in India: PM

11:31 pm: PM Modi says 'everything is fine in India'.

11:30 pm: The name of this event is 'Howdy Modi', but Modi is nothing alone.  I am just a servant working on the instructions of 1.3 billion Indians: PM Narendra Modi 

11:28 pm: I welcome one and all and thank the organisers of this event. I am told that people registered in large numbers but due to space constraints couldn't make it: PM Modi

11:27 pm: President Trump's participation in this event and showering admirations on India and on me. Their praise is an achievement of the Indian-Americans: PM Modi

11:25 pm: We are witnessing new history being made and a new chemistry too: PM Modi.

11:24 pm: These visuals, this environment is incredible: PM Modi.

11:23 pm: Today, Texas' spirit is being showcased here: PM Modi.

11:22 pm: PM Narendra Modi begins his address at the NRG stadium in Houston.

11:21 pm: PM Modi takes stage at NRG Stadium in Houston.

11:15 pm: Both India and US understand that to keep our community safe, we must protect our borders: US President Donald Trump

11:15 pm: Today we honour all of the brave American and Indian military service members who work together to safeguard our freedom. We are committed to protecting innocent civilians from the threat of radical Islamic terrorism: US President Donald Trump

11:14 pm: To keep our nations safe, the United States and India are forging an even stronger security partnership: US President Donald Trump

11:13 pm: India will have access to another world-class American product. NBA Basketball. That sounds good: US President Donald Trump.

11:11 pm: Under PM Modi's leadership, the world is witnessing a strong, thriving, Republic of India: Donald Trump.

11:09 pm: India has lifted about 300 million people out of poverty. That is incredible, we are seeing something really remarkable in both the nations: US President Donald Trump

11:03 pm: Trump greets 'Happy Birthday' to PM Modi who turned 69 last week.

11:03 pm: You have never had a better friend as President, than President Donald Trump: Trump

11:02 pm: My profound gratitude to the nearly 4 million Indian Americans in our country: PM Modi

11:02 pm: Prime Minsiter Modi and I have come to houston to celebrate everything that unites India and America: Trump

11:00 pm: We love you, we support you, we will be with you every step of the way: Donald Trump

10:59 pm: Trump congratulates Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his 2019 General election victory. 

10:58 pm: US President Donald Trump begins his address at the NRG Stadium.

10:57 pm: President Trump introduced me to your family in 2017. Today, I have the honour to introduce you to my family: PM Modi

10:54 pm: Hundreds of millions are glued to a TV even though it is late at night in India: PM Modi at the NRG Stadium in Houston. 

10:54 pm: In these years, our two nations have taken the relationship to new heights: PM Modi at the NRG Stadium in Houston.

10:53 pm: You can feel the strength and depth of human bonds between our two great nations: PM Modi 

10:51 pm: I admire him for his sense of leadership, a concern for every American, a belief in American future and a strong resolve to make America great again: PM Modi

10:51 pm: We in India have connected well with President Trump, the words of candidate Trump, 'Ab ki baar Trump sarkar', rang loud and clear: PM Narendra Modi

10:51 pm: Donald Trump has a strong resolve to make America great again: PM Modi

10:50 pm: Donald Trump has a  concern for every American: PM Modi

10:49 pm: Every time I met him, I found the same friendliness, warmth and energy in him: Prime Minister Narendra Modi at NRG Stadium.

10:48 pm: From CEO to Commander-in-Chief, from boardrooms to the Oval Office, from studios to global stage, from politics to economy and to security, he has left a deep and lasting impact everywhere: Prime Minister Narendra Modi

10:47 pm: This morning we have a very special person with us, he needs no introduction. His name is familiar to every person on the planet: Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

10:45 pm: PM Narendra Modi begins his address at the NRG Stadium in Houston. 

10:44 pm: US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on stage at NRG stadium in Houston.

10:37 pm: US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi meet at NRG stadium in Houston. 

10:36 pm: Donald Trump was received by External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. 

10:31 pm: US President Donald Trump arrives at NRG Stadium in Houston.

10:20 pm: Ramesh Modi, a man dressed up like Mahatma Gandhi at Howdy Modi event says,"Modi aur Gandhi ek hi hain, these are saints, fakirs. Gandhi was a fakir, same nature exactly. Welcome Modi to the town here."

10:05 pm: House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer: We are inspired by the modern India he(PM Modi) leads while mindful of the challenges, undeterred as India reaches into new frontier of space and equally determined to lift millions out of poverty back on earth.

9:59 pm: Thank you to the Indian-Americans, you are the reason why Indian-American relationship has strengthened: Steny Hoyer at Howdy Modi event.

9:55 pm: US House majority leader Steny Hoyer welcomes PM Modi to Houston. "They are making a difference in America," Steny says lauding the contributions of Indian-Americans' to the US

9:49 pm: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US Congressional delegation.

9:48 pm: Mayor Sylvester Turner presents PM Modi with the key to the city of Houston. 

9:37 pm: America is proud to be your friend, and today is about celebrating that friendship: Senator John Cornyn

9:35 pm: "India is the 4th largest trading partner in Houston. Welcome to Houston Mr Prime Minister": Sylvester Turner, Houston Mayor.

9:32 pm: Today we are humbled by the PM's choice to visit our city: Houston Mayor.

9:28 pm: PM Narendra Modi arrives at NRG stadium in Houston. He will address the gathering shortly 

9:15 pm: I don't know specifically about what sort of discussions the President & PM are going to have. I won't be surprised if there is some announcement by President Trump today, hopefully we'll be able to sort out trade differences: John Cornyn

9:10 pm: I won't be surprised if there is some announcement by President Trump today, hopefully we will be able to sort out the trade differences: John Cornyn, United States Senator for Texas

8:55 pm: It surely will be a great day! Looking forward to meeting you very soon: PM Modi to Trump

8:40 pm: Bhangra artistes perform at #HowdyModi event in Houston.

8:35 pm: 400 performers, 27 groups put on a colorful show ahead of PM Modi's address in Houston.

8:33 pm: 'Howdy, Modi' event underway at NRG Stadium in Houston, USA.

8:25 pm: Mega Howdy event begins. PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump to arrive shortly.

8:20 pm: Will be in Houston to be with my friend. Will be a great day in Texas: United States President Donald Trump.

8:00 pm: United States Senator for Texas, John Cornyn arrives at NRG stadium. Howdy Modi

7:35 pm: Long queue outside the NRG stadium before PM's event in Houstan.

6:56 pm: President of the United States, Donald Trump emplanes for Houston. 

6:44 pm: People playing drums at NRG stadium in Houston, Texas. 

6:35 pm: Joint Base Andrews (Maryland): Press delegation boarding Air Force One; President of the United States, Donald Trump, will be attending Howdy Modi event in Houston, Texas today.

6:00 pm: Stage set for Howdy Modi mega event at NRG Stadium.

5:20 pm: People start gathering outside NRG stadium in Houston, Texas, to attend Howdy Modi event.

4:47 pm: A 50-member delegation of Sikhs from across the US met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and thanked him for removing the names of over 300 community members from blacklist.

2:30 PM

Howdy Modi: Donald Trump Likely To Deliver 30-Minute-Long Speech On India

US President Donald Trump is expected to deliver a major, 30-minute speech on India and Indian Americans at the "Howdy, Modi!" event. READ FULL STORY

2:00 PM

PM Modi Meets Kashmiri Pandits In Houston, Assures Of 'Building New Kashmir' 

A delegation of Kashmiri Pandits met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston and thanked him for his government’s decision to revoke Article 370 that granted special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. READ FULL STORY 

1:30 PM

Indian Origin Singing Prodigy Sparsh Shah To Grace 'Howdy Modi' With National Anthem

Shah born with a rare medical condition namely 'osteogenesis imperfecta' or brittle bone disease, will be singing Indian national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" and is excited to meet PM Modi for the first time in person. READ FULL STORY

1:00 PM

Watch: PM Modi's 'Swachh America' Gesture Wins Hearts, Leaves Officials Stunned In Houston

Asserting the importance of cleanliness, PM Modi once again showed to the world that he practises what he preaches on his arrival at the George Bush Intercontinental airport in Houston on Saturday. READ FULL STORY

12:30 PM

PM Modi Gets Red Carpet Welcome, No US Official To Welcome Pakistan PM Imran Khan

In an apparent snub to Imran Khan, no official from the United States government turned up to welcome the Pakistan Prime Minister on his arrival in the country. When PM Narendra Modi arrived in Houston on Saturday, he was given a red carpet welcome. READ FULL STORY

10:00 AM

PM Narendra Modi tweeted about his meetings during the first day of his visit to USA. PM Modi started his Houston visit meeting CEOs of top energey firms. He then met leaders of different Indian communities.   

9:30 AM

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan hailed PM Modi's engangement with the CEOs, which comes as a boost to energy cooperation between India and US.

9:15 AM

Mike Train, the President of Emerson Electric Co, talked about PM Moid's round table meeting with oil sector CEOs. He said, "It was a real pleasure and an honour to be a part of the meeting. He shared the outlook, the enthusiasm. He wants to have a balanced approach, bringing energy in a sustainable way to India."

He said, "We're very active in the Indian market. I highlighted the work we've done with 'Invest India'. We've a big investment we'll be finishing next yr near Pune - a large manufacturing facility."

9:00 AM

Surinder Kaul, representing Kashmiri Pandit community, said, "PM told us you've suffered a lot together, we have to build new Kashmir. Our youth presented him the messages that the community have prepared for him. I presented a memorandum on behalf of the community. He gladly accepted that."

Kaul said, "We thanked him on behalf of the 700,000 Kashmiri Pandits all over the globe for such a historic decision. We assured him that our community will work with the govt to fulfill your dream for a Kashmir which is peaceful, full of growth where people are all happy."

8:50 AM

The Sikh community submitted a memorandum, requesting the prime minister to address the issues of 1984 Anti-sikh riots, Article 25 of Indian Constitution and Anand Marriage Act, Visa and Passport renewal of asylees. They also forwarded their request of dedicating the Delhi airport to Guru Nanak Dev.

Avinder Chawla, sitting Commissioner of Arvin, California told ANI: "We submitted a memorandum & thanked Modiji for what he has done for Sikh community. We thanked him for Kartarpur corridor. President Trump is coming here tomorrow (at Howdy Modi), shows how important a leader PM Modi is."

8:30 AM

PM Modi met CEOs of 17 global energy companies in a Round table meet. The combined net worth of companies is US$1 trillion with a presence in 150 countries and all companies have some engagement or presence in India, reported ANI quoting sources. Sources said that objective of the meeting was to deepen the energy cooperation of the two sides as part of our strategic energy partnership. 

"CEOs were thankful to the Government for the support and facilitation," it said. CEOs talked about enhancing their footprint in India. They lauded government efforts towards Ease of Doing Business, steps taken towards deregulation in the sector, supported reforms and policies and were upbeat on the Indian economy.

7:45 AM

US natural gas company Tellurian Inc. and Petronet LNG Limited (PLL) of India have signed an MoU, the two companies announced on Saturday. Under this MoU, PLL and its affiliates intend to import up to five million tonnes per annum of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from America. Tellurian and Petronet will endeavour to finalise the transaction agreements by March 31, 2020. The announcement came after PM Narendra Modi had a meeting with the CEOs of top oil companies based in the US.

7.30 AM 

A delegation of the Kashmiri Pandit community met the Prime Minister. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also joined in reciting 'Namaste Sharade Devi' shloka.

7:00 AM

Sikh community welcomes PM Modi in Houston

The Sikh community requested the PM to address the issues of - 1984 sikh genocide, dedicating Delhi airport to Guru Nanak Dev International Airport, Article 25 of Indian Constitution and Anand Marriage Act, Visa and Passport renewal of asylees.

Dawoodi Bohra community felicitates PM Modi 

6:15 AM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump jointly addressing the "Howdy Modi" event here in the energy capital of the world is "historic", Indian Americans said on Saturday.

6:00 AM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a "fruitful" meeting with CEOs from the energy sector, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

MEA added that the meeting focussed on working together for energy security and expanding mutual investment opportunities between India and the United States.

"Getting straight to business. PM @narendramodi just concluded a fruitful interaction with top energy sector CEOs at a Roundtable meeting in #Houston. Discussion focussed on working together for energy security and expanding mutual investment opportunities between India & US," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.

Earlier, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had posted on Twitter a couple of photographs of Modi's meeting with the chief executive officers (CEOs) of some of the top oil companies based in the US.

"Further energising India-USA friendship. Among the first engagements of PM @narendramodi in Houston is a meeting with CEOs from the energy sector. India and USA are looking to diversify cooperation in this sector," the PMO tweeted.

5:30 AM

On Saturday, PM Modi arrived at around 10.30 PM IST in Houston. The prime minister was received by US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, Indian Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other senior officials.

"Howdy Houston! It's a bright afternoon here in Houston. Looking forward to a wide range of programmes in this dynamic and energetic city today and tomorrow," Modi tweeted soon after he landed at the George Bush International Airport.

In his departure statement, Modi referred to the Indo-US relations and said working together, the two nations can contribute to building a more peaceful, stable, secure, sustainable and prosperous world.

Modi also said that at the High Level Segment of the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, he would reiterate New Delhi's commitment to reformed multilateralism, which is responsive, effective and inclusive, and in which India plays her due role.

(With PTI Inputs)

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First Published : 23 Sep 2019, 00:35 AM

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