US President Donald Trump on Tuesday complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a new compliment saying that India before him "was very torn" and he should be called "Father of India" for bringing it together.

He was talking to reporters after an India-US bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

"He (PM Modi) is a great gentleman and a great leader. I remember India before was very torn. There was a lot of dissension, fighting and he brought it all together. Like a father would bring it together. Maybe he is the Father of India. We'll call him the Father of India," Trump said.

It is worth mentioning that Mahatma Gandhi, whose 150th birth anniversary is being celebrated by the government in a grand manner this year, is regarded as the 'Father of the Nation.'

The two leaders met for the second time in two days, this time for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York.

#WATCH US President: I remember India before was very torn. There was a lot of dissension, fighting&he brought it all together. Like a father would. Maybe he is the Father of India...They love this gentleman to my right. People went crazy, he is like an American version of Elvis. pic.twitter.com/w1ZWYiaOSu September 24, 2019

Modi was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale, amongst other government officials.

"I am thankful to Trump that he came to Houston. He is my friend but he is also a good friend of India," Modi said at the meeting.

Trump expressed hope that India and the United States will have a trade deal soon.

"We will have trade deal very soon," he said at the meeting.

(With ANI inputs)