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Updated: Jul 02, 2020 21:43 IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with US President standing by his side, cheered for Donald Trump’s re-election at the mega Houston address.

Drawing from his own campaign punchline ‘Abki baar, Modi sarkar’, the PM turned it around for his ‘friend’ Trump and cheered for ‘abki baar, Trump sarkar’.

Trump joined the Indian PM at the mega event as a “special gesture” by him to underscore the special bond between the two countries. It is for the first time that Trump and Modi shared a stage together.

Watch | #HowdyModi: 400 artistes, nearly 50,000 people at festive Houston event

The Indian PM welcomed Trump, and the two leaders embraced each other and walked together towards the stage.

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In rich praise for the American President, PM Modi introduced Trump as the “name familiar to every person on planet”.

On stage, PM Modi recalled how he was introduced to Trump’s family in 2017. Reciprocating the gesture, the PM pointed spotlighted the crowd in the stadium and told Trump that’s his family.

“From CEO to Commander in Chief, from boardrooms to the oval office, from studios to the global stage, from politics to the economy and to security, he has left a deep and lasting impact everywhere,” Modi said.

As Trump began his address, he called the PM Modi “America’s greatest, most loyal friend”. Trump praised Modi for doing an “exceptional job for India”.

Speaking on the trade between the two countries, Trump said, “India has never invested in United States like it is doing today, and I want to say it is reciprocal because we are doing the same thing in India.”

Organised by the non-profit Texas India Forum, the event, with the tagline ‘Shared Dreams, Bright Futures’ shines light on the tremendous contribution of Indo-Americans in United States and the strong and lasting partnership between the US and India.