Indian diaspora fete Modi in London as trouble stirs back home

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political problems in New Delhi seemed a long way away on Friday as he addressed an adoring crowd in a stadium daubed in the saffron, white and green of his country’s flag. They were 4,168 miles away, to be exact.

The stadium was England’s national football ground, Wembley, and the dancing, cheering, flag-waving crowd was made up of 62,000 members of the Indian diaspora. They had braved a cold London evening to witness the first official visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Britain in nearly a decade.

Speaking at the political rally, the high point of a three-day visit to Britain that has seen 9 billion pounds worth of trade deals signed and revived wilting bilateral relations, Modi praised India’s diversity and said the country was working hard to tackle poverty. Read More…