- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
She also said that many in the US want to see the Indian PM getting re-elected so that the ties between the two democracies continue to be strengthened to greater levels.
By: Shubham Ghosh
US SINGER Mary Millben, who has expressed her admiration for Indian prime minister Narendra Modi time and again, has once again eulogised him calling him the “best leader” for his country and for the relation between the US and India. The 41-year-old African-American media personality, who was seen touching Modi’s feet on stage during an event when the Indian leader visited the US last year, also said that many in the US want to see the latter getting re-elected so that the ties between the two democracies continue to be strengthened to greater levels.
Millben is also a supporter of former US president Donald Trump, who is in the race for the White House in this year’s election. The businessman-politician had a satisfying start to his mission by securing more than 51 per cent votes in the Iowa caucuses of the Republican Party this week.
Read: Singer Mary Millben, who touched Modi’s feet in the US, backs India PM on Manipur
Speaking with Indian news agency PTI on Thursday (18), the singer said, “I tell you certainly there’s a lot of support for the prime minister here in the United States. I believe many desire to see the prime minister re-elected because again, he’s the best leader for India.”
“This election season, I believe, is going to be one of the most important election seasons for the United States, for India, and for the world. So there’s a tremendous responsibility that we all have and carry as citizens. It’s my encouragement, certainly to all of my beloved family in India to make your vote, your voice heard in this election season,” she said.
“Certainly, it’s no secret…all of India knows that I’m a big supporter of the prime minister and believe that he’s the best leader for India and he’s the best leader for the India-US relationship. These are the times when we as citizens need to be vocal, sharing our convictions, sharing those things, those policies that are important for our countries and certainly to our leaders. But we hold the power to bring change to our countries,” Millben added.
Last month, Millben praised Modi after his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party won three major states in India’s Hindi heartland and said they were a precursor to Modi’s victory in the general elections in 2024.
Millben herself has a huge fan following in India, in particular after her rendition of the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ and the popular Hindu song ‘Om Jai Jagdish Hare’. She sang India’s national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ at an event in June in the US during the prime minister’s state visit.
Modi, she said, has done extraordinary things to position India as a real economic player, not only in the region but across the world.
“His policies for advancements in technology certainly promoted women in leadership. Of course, he was the reason in many ways that we saw the rise of President (Droupadi Murmu) as president and certainly his efforts to populate the Cabinet with more women leaders,” she said.
“I think that’s a great example and testament to the commitment to bringing in greater diversity into leadership; policies that are pushing efforts toward developing young leaders in India, I think is very important. Setting a precedent for the next generation, coming into leadership in India that will be great players in the world, that is evident, certainly in the prime minister’s leadership,” she added.
“Then of course what we all know is how the prime minister’s policies have placed India on the map as a real economic player.
“The advancements in trade, certainly his infrastructure policy, you could go on and on about the things that the Prime Minister has done that makes him the right candidate and the right leader to continue leading India to greater heights,” Millben told PTI.
“As it relates to the United States, he is the best leader. There is no competition there. I hope that he’ll be re-elected so the US-India relationship can continue to be strengthened to greater levels,” she said.
Millben had also praised Modi for his proposal to include the African Union as a full member of the G20, a move supported by the US.
(With agency inputs)
