PM Narendra Modi (left) with Steny Hoyer at 'Howdy, Modi!' in Houston, Texas.

The Congress on Monday welcomed a top US lawmaker's reference to Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru in his speech at the 'Howdy, Modi!' event organised for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston, Texas. It would have been better had PM Modi shed his aversion to India's first Prime Minister and joined in endorsing what the American leader said, the Congress added.

"[India], like America, [is] proud of its ancient traditions to secure a future according to Gandhi's teaching and Nehru's vision of India as a secular democracy where respect for pluralism and human rights safeguard every individual," House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said, as he introduced PM Modi to the mega event on Sunday.

An icon of the opposition Congress party, Jawaharlal Nehru has been frequently targeted by members of the PM Modi's party. Hours before PM Modi's event, Jawaharlal Nehru was blamed by BJP chief and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the formation of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) at an event in Mumbai.

Asked about Mr Hoyer's remarks, senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said it was heartening to see that leaders in America recognise the contribution of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, "like we respect Martin Luther King or Nelson Mandela".

"Jawaharlal Nehru (was) the front-ranking leader of the Indian national movement and architect of modern India, we owe a debt of gratitude to him. It would have been better that the Prime Minister would have shed his aversion to Pandit Nehru and joined in endorsing what the US Senators were saying about Jawaharlal Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi," he told reporters.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said he was glad that PM Modi was reminded of the contributions of Nehru by the American Democratic party leader.

I recall LK Advani praising Nehru in a speech in New York some years ago. Vajpayee's tribute to Nehru is a masterpiece. Jaane Kahan Gaye Woh Din...



I'm glad that PM Modi was reminded of the contributions of Nehru by the House Majority Leader in Houston.https://t.co/yHWMkS2FNT — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) September 23, 2019

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi also took a dig at PM Modi over Mr Hoyer's remarks, saying, "It was absolutely unexpected for Modi ji".

"While the achievements of Nehru and Gandhi ji were being mentioned, his (PM Modi's) expressions were worth seeing," he tweeted in Hindi.