Joe Biden, the president of the United States, will receive PM Modi for his first official state visit, marking his sixth trip to the country as prime minister.
Before his visit, a protest has been organized by human rights organizations, and social media is becoming increasingly agitated.
Mr. Modi said he will meet with U.S. leaders, members of Congress, American CEOs, and members of the Indian-American community during the trip, which will focus on advancing trade and energy, collaborations in science & technology, education, and health. It is also anticipated to result in several agreements on defense ties.
“I am certain that my trip to the US will deepen our ties because we share a commitment to democracy, diversity, and freedom. In addressing the common global challenges, together, we are stronger”, Mr. Modi said in his statement on Tuesday.
Elon Musk, the founder of Twitter and Tesla, astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson, singer Falguni Shah, and roughly 24 other “CEOs and Thought leaders” will be among the approximately 24 people with whom Mr. Modi will meet during his first day in New York.
Before the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, tensions were rising in the US. A human rights advocate and freelance writer named Pieter Friedrich posted a photo of himself on Twitter, referring to Modi as the “Risen Hitler in the East” and pleading with Joe Biden to “stop enabling Modi’s fascism.”
“I’m here to say #Modi is the risen Hitler in the East. Biden, stop enabling Modi’s fascism,” he tweeted with the hashtag #ModiNotWelcome.”
In earlier tweets, he announced a demonstration in Washington, DC, calling on followers to oppose fascism and express support for the victims under genocide watch. His tweet and hashtag were shared by several Twitter users.
The Indian American Muslim Council, Veterans for Peace, Peace Action, and the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition are expected to assemble close to the White House on June 22, when Modi is scheduled to visit President Joe Biden, according to a Reuters report.
In the meantime, the contentious BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question” will be screened in Washington during a screening hosted by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, said in a statement that PM Modi’s visit was intended to “strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space.”
There have been concerns voiced regarding the human rights issues in India that have been brought up by numerous international watchdogs. Nevertheless, Jean-Pierre justified the trip, telling reporters that Biden thinks “this is an important relationship that we need to continue and build on as it relates to human rights,” according to the Reuters story.
