LIVE! India's blocking of road building in Sikkim seriously damaged border peace: China

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Mon, 26 June 2017

India's blocking of road building in Sikkim seriously damaged border peace: China

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23:40 India's blocking of road building in Sikkim seriously damaged border peace: China

The Chinese military today accused the Indian Army of stopping the construction of a road along the Sino-Indian frontier in Sikkim and said the move has 'seriously damaged' border peace and tranquillity.

'After India's independence the Indian government repeatedly confirmed in writing that both sides have no objection to Sikkim border,' a People's Liberation Army statement said.

China's building of the road was completely an act of sovereignty on its own territory, India has no right to interfere, it said.

'The Indian attempt to stop the construction of road has seriously damaged border peace and tranquillity,' the statement said.

'(We) hope that India will meet China halfway and do not take any actions to complicate the boundary problem, and jointly maintain momentum of good development of bilateral relations,' the statement added.

Tension mounted in a remote area of Sikkim after a scuffle broke out between personnel of the Indian Army and the PLA, leading to Chinese troops damaging bunkers on the Indian side of the border.

The incident happened in the first week of June near the Lalten post in the Doka La general area in Sikkim after a face-off between the two forces, which triggered tension along the Sino-Indian frontier, official sources in New Delhi said.

After the scuffle, the PLA entered Indian territory and damaged two make-shift bunkers of the Army, the sources said.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area has been under the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15km from the international border. -- PTI

23:30

Tanvi Madan (@tanvi_madan) tweets:

'As #ModiMeetsTrump, worth keeping in mind: US & Indian officials hv been engaging w/ each other over last few mnths.'

22:57 US designates Hizb chief as global terrorist

The United States State Department today designated Syed Salahuddin, the head of Kashmiri terrorist group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, as a specially designated global terrorist.

The move comes just hours before the first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump at the White House.

As a consequence of this designation, US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with Salahuddin and all of Salahuddin's property and interests in property subject to United States jurisdiction are blocked.

As a senior leader of Hizbul Mujahideen, the State Department said in September, 2016, Salahuddin, also known as Syed Mohammed Yusuf Shah, vowed to block any peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict, threatened to train more Kashmiri suicide bombers, and vowed to turn the Kashmir valley 'into a graveyard for Indian forces'.

"Under Salahuddin's tenure as senior HM leader, HM has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014 explosives attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, which injured 17 people," the State Department said.

Following the designation of Salahuddin as the global terrorist, the State Department in a notification said he has committed, or poses a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism.

Designations of terrorist individuals and groups expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and result in denial of access to the US financial system. Moreover, designations can assist or complement the law enforcement actions of other nations, it said. -- PTI

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad today demanded scrapping of the National Commission for Minorities and the minority affairs ministry, saying both the institutions give credence to a 'separatist mindset'.

The VHP alleged that with the help of the NCM, jihadi groups and missionaries gathered sympathy and carried out 'anti-Hindu and anti-national activities'.

The VHP, in its central governing council meeting in Vadtal in Gujarat, passed a resolution demanding immediate scrapping of both the commission and the ministry, it said in a statement.

It suggested that the there was no need for a commission for the minorities as the National Human Rights Commission was more than enough to take care of the rights of all citizens of the country. -- PTI

After the Opposition came down heavily on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for supporting National Democratic Alliance presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, the Janata Dal-United on Monday said they wanted the Opposition to nominate a non-Congress person for the post of president.

JD-U leader K C Tyagi told ANI that most of the opposition parties wanted to nominate someone who doesn't belong to the Congress for the post of President, but the Congress didn't agree to it.

"As per the discussion we had with the leftist party in Chennai, Gopal Krishna Gandhi had to be the presidential candidate. It was just because of the Congress party's stubborn attitude and insistence this could not take place," said Tyagi.

Earlier in the day, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad targeting Nitish, said people who believe in one principle, make one decision, but those who believe in many principles, make different decisions.

"He (Nitish) was the first one who decided to defeat Bihar's Dalit daughter, not us," Azad said in a reply to Bihar chief minister's statement that his party was free to take its decisions, and admonished the Opposition alliance for fielding 'Bihar ki beti' (Bihar's daughter) Meira Kumar to lose. -- ANI

IMAGE: Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar.

In the wake of the train lynching incident that took place in Haryana's Palwal area, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said that one accused has been arrested and also announced ex gratia of Rs10 lakh to the family of deceased.

He also assured that the police are searching for the other accused as well. He also condemned the incident and appealed the nation to maintain peace.

The accused arrested in connection with Ballabhgarh murder case was sent to three-day police remand.

Junaid, 15, was murdered after a scuffle which broke out in a train over a seat in Haryana's Palwal. He, along with his two brothers, had gone to Delhi to do shopping.

When they were returning by the Mathura passenger train, they had a heated argument with a group of men over seating. One of the men of the group attacked Junaid with knife that proved fatal.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid reports that America will sell 22 Guardian drones to India to bolster its surveillance and intelligence gathering capabilities. The meeting between Mattis and Prime Minister Modi came ahead of the latter's maiden meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Mattis met Modi at the Hotel Willard Intercontinental, where the Indian prime minister is staying.

Senior Indian officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were present at the meeting.

The Supreme Court is letting the Trump administration enforce its 90-day ban on travellers from six mostly Muslim countries, overturning lower court orders that blocked it.

The action is a victory for US President Donald Trump in the biggest legal controversy of his young presidency.

Trump said last week that the ban would take effect 72 hours being cleared by courts.The justices will hear arguments in the case in the fall.

19:54 Ivanka Trump: 'I try to stay out of politics'

Ivanka Trump, the US Presidents eldest daughter and a person who holds the position of official advisor, has claimed she leaves the politics to other people.

Since Trump assumed the presidency in January, few people have appeared to wield more power and influence that Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. Her presence and views are frequently cited as a moderating influence on her father.

Yet in an interview with Fox News, the 36-year-old designer and businesswoman, sought to claim her role was apolitical.

I try to stay out of politics, Ivanka said, when she was asked what she advised her father regarding his seemingly knee-jerk use of Twitter.

Rather, she said her fathers instincts were phenomenal.

He did something that no one could have imagined hed be able to accomplish. There were very few who saw it early on, she said. He did something pretty remarkable.

She said there were areas and issues on which she disagreed with her father.

While NDA government is going all out to celebrate GST roll out, deliberations are on in Opposition camp whether to attend the much talked about event in the Parliament or not.

Few opposition parties leaders are contemplating to boycott the event keeping small traders sentiments in mind.

The Opposition is brainstorming whether to be or not to be part of NDA government's an hour long mid-night session of Parliament to roll out GST.

Samajvadi party's Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agarwal has termed the current GST Bill as 'anti-traders' move.

"What does the government want to prove by rolling out GST on June 30 midnight? Nehruji (first Prime Minister Pt Jawaharlal Nehru) has announced our freedoms at stroke of midnight, this government is announcing that small traders will be made slaves through GST," said Agarwal.

While Left is saying that they are not going to make it mandatory for their leaders to attend the GST roll out event, Congress is deliberating on all aspects.

"All we can say at the moment is that deliberations are on in the party. Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former PM Dr Manmohan Singh and other senior leaders will decide what will be party's stand," said Congress party's communication department chief Randeep Surjewala.

The government plans to roll out GST on midnight of June 30 in the presence of President of India Pranab Mukherjee.

For many people they are the most essential item to pack for a long flight. But now there is a chance that passengers might have to remove them from their hand luggage when passing through airport security. Were not talking about laptops this time, but books.

Security staff at certain America airports have begun searching for items made of paper at checkpoints under a pilot scheme that could see screening measures for US flights become ever more invasive.

Air passengers in Missouri and a handful of other test airports, including Los Angeles, Boise, Colorado Springs, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Boston Logan, Lubbock, Munoz Marin in Puerto Rico, Las Vegas McCarran and Phoenix Sky Harbour, were made to undergo separate checks for books and food items last month.

Read more HERE

18:45 Eid passes off peacefully on LoC

An eerie silence prevailed on the occasion of Eid along the Line of Control, which has witnessed 20 ceasefire violations, a BAT attack and two infiltration bids in the month of June in which four people, including three jawans, were killed.

The lack of the rattle of guns came as some good news.

"Guns are silent today. There is no report of any firing and shelling by the Pakistani Army along the LoC," a senior army officer said.

The Pakistani Army breached the truce thrice yesterday by firing small arms and shelling mortars on army posts along the LoC in Rajouri and Poonch sectors, drawing strong retaliation from the Indian side.

There have been 20 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the International Border in Jammu region in the month of June in which three jawans and one civilian were killed.

Officials in India and the United States have worked hard and long to make Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to the White House during the Trump presidency a success.

It is learnt that Trump has also picked up a smattering of Hindi that he is expected to show off during his meeting with PM Modi, and later.

"Donald Trump is learning Hindi words for the meeting with Prime Minister Modi... He will say Trump Sarkar welcomes Modi Sarkar," said Chicago industrialist Shalabh "Shalli" Kumar, who was considered the chief architect of the presidential candidate outreach to the Indian-American community last year.

White House chief strategist Steve Bannan also said that Trump has "studied Modi" and "they already know where Modi stands, where he wants to take India," Kumar said.

In another transgression, Chinese troops entered India in the Sikkim sector and jostled wit hIndian army personnel guarding the Sino-India frontier,besides destroying two bunker.

The face-off has been going on in Doka La general area in Sikkim for the past ten days and the Chinese troops have also stopped the batch of pilgrims that was proceeding for Kailash Mansovar yatra, official sources said today.

The Indian troops had to struggle hard to stop the Chinese personnel from advancing further into Indian territory. They formed a human wall along the Line of Actual Control to stop the PLA personnel, some of whom also videographed and click pictures of the incident.

The bunkers has been destroyed in Lalten area of the DokaLa area. A flag meeting was also held between senior army officers of both the sides on June 20, but the tension still continues.

It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at the Doka La, a place at the Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibettri-junction. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers at the same place.

Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Monday exhorted the political parties to 'rise above politics' and extend their full support to the Goods and Services Tax.

Naidu's appeal has come amid reports of the Opposition's alleged decision to skip the special session being organised on June 30 ahead of the designated launch of the GST.

Naidu, while addressing the media assured that although there may be implementation glitches at the initial stages of the rollout, the GST Council will identify and overcome them at the earliest.

"The GST is a very important tax reform. Undoubtedly, there will be teething troubles initially. But, I assure you that the council will take them up and overcome any obstacles they are faced with. I would like to appeal to all those concerned to rise above parties and politics, and extend their full support," he said.

Hailing the forthcoming bill as the 'biggest tax reform since independence', Naidu asserted that it will bring economic integration, reduce delays and end discrimination among taxpayers.

The dedicated air corridor between India and Afghanistan bypassing Pakistan is an attempt by New Delhi to counterbalance China's ambitious economic corridor via PoK and shows its "stubborn geopolitical thinking", a leading Chinese daily commented today.

India and Afghanistan last week inaugurated a dedicated air freight corridor to give boost to bilateral trade and give the landlocked central Asian country greater access to Indian markets.

India has been closely working with Kabul to create alternate and reliable access routes. It is also working with Afghanistan and Iran for development of the Chabahar Port. A trilateral transport and transit agreement based on sea access through Chabahar was signed between the three countries in May 2016.

The article in the state-run Global Times said that the already launched and the proposed routes between India, Afghanistan and Iran "begs a question: Will India bypass Pakistan to develop trade with Afghanistan and other Central Asian countries?"

"All such connectivity efforts have not only signalled India's desire to more actively participate in regional economic development, but have also highlighted the country's stubborn geopolitical thinking," the article said, referring to India's opposition to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project.

China today said it was in talks with India over the denial of entry to 47 Indian pilgrims who were scheduled to travel to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet through the Nathu-la pass in Sikkim.

"According to my information, the two governments are in touch over this issue," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Suhang told reporters, declining to elaborate whether it was due to any weather-related issues like landslides and rains the pilgrims were stopped by the Chinese officials at

the Sino-India border.

He said the issue was being discussed by the two foreign ministries.

China last week refused entry to 47 Indian pilgrims who were scheduled to travel to Kailash Mansarovar through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim.

The pilgrims were scheduled to cross over to the Chinese side on June 19 but had failed to do so due to inclement weather. They had waited at the base camp and tried to cross again on June 23 but were denied permission by the Chinese officials.

In New Delhi, external affairs ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said that some difficulties were being experienced in the movement of pilgrims through Nathu La and that India is taking up the matter with China.

The development has cast a shadow of uncertainty on the annual yatra as Chinese officials maintained that it would take some time to repair the roads and the Indians would not be able to make the pilgrimage any time soon.

Before their working dinner at the White House tonight, US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address reporters. In a change of plans, the US and India have changed their earlier stand of no questions allowed - instead, after a joint statement is issued on their meeting, each leader will take one question selected in advance.

At 01:20 am India time, PM Modi and Trump will begin a 20-minute one-on-one interaction. That will flow into delegation talks, with top officials from both sides joining them, after which the press briefing will be held. Then, Modi will become the first foreign dignitary to be entertained at a dinner at the White House by the Trump administration.

This is PM Modi's fifth trip to the US since he took over. His warm relationship with President Barack Obama drew the latter as the chief guest for India's Republic Day parade in 2015.

Three months after Christian charity organisation Compassion International was forced to shut its operations in India following a government directive, the Indian side may be asked some tough questions from US interlocutors on the crackdown on NGOs during Prime Minister Narendra Modis stay in the US.

Influential US Congressman and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee, Ed Royce, said, The US-India partnership is critically important, and thats why I hope Prime Minister Modi will take time to listen to those who are concerned about crackdowns on non-governmental organisations, including the shuttering of Compassion International that was providing critical tutoring, nutrition and medical services to more than 145,000 Indian children.

Royce has been at the forefront of those critical of the Indian governments actions against NGOs, especially Compassion International.

Chennai is facing an acute crisis of drinking water as all four lakes around the city have dried up, the local authorities have said.

Tamil Nadu is witnessing the worst drought in 140 years and drinking water to the state's capital city has been cut down by 50 per cent, say water supply officials. The city requires 830 million litres of water a day, but the supply has halved over the last few days.

There is no daily supply of drinking water in Chennai as the four main reservoirs -- Poondi, Red Hills, Cholavaram and Chembarambakkam are dry.

In many areas, piped water is being supplied only once in three days. To keep the edge of thirst, the authorities have deployed 300 water tankers in the city.

13:59 Kovind to visit Srinagar on June 28

National Democratic Alliance's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind will visit Srinagar on June 28 as part of the ongoing campaign, seeking support from its alliance partner, the Peoples Democratic Party.

Kovind will be accompanied by Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, Jitendra Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party's general secretary and party in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir Ram Madhav.

Kovind, along with leaders, would meet the BJP and the PDP members of parliament to seek their support.

Yesterday, Kovind met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow, after filing his nomination papers to seek support from BJP MPs and MLAs for the presidential post.

The nomination process for the presidential elections will continue till June 28.

The election for the next President of India is to be held on July 17, as President Pranab Mukherjee will demit the office on July 24.

13:28

JUST IN: Lawyer says jailed Chinese Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo on medical parole after diagnosis of terminal liver cancer.

13:21 People across India sport black armbands to protest lynching of Muslims

Thousands and thousands of Muslim families celebrated Eid ul-Fitr, a festival celebrated to bolster peace and brotherhood marking the end of month-long Ramzan fasts on Monday. However, the revelries were dampened by the recent spurt in instances of mob violence targeting Muslims.

Within last week, three prominent cases of mob lynching made headlines, and the victims were all from the Muslim community, with the last one being the killing of a 16-year-old boy on a train to Delhi.

Standing in solidarity, cutting across religious lines, people on social media have pitched for a unique campaign to wear a black band on their arms in protest of the government's inability to stop such incidents.

The campaign, which was started on Saturday, picked up momentum by Sunday as thousands of people from various religions came out in support of the peaceful protest.

People shared their pictures with black arm bands and hashtags #StopKillingMuslims, #StopMobLynchings and #EidWithBlackBands elicited much response on Twitter.

The call for protest was reciprocated by people across religious lines. "It is not a religious point alone, but more so of justice and unity as even those who follow religion and those who don't follow it are going to wear the black bands in solidarity on Monday," Rajeev Yadav, a Hindu, was quoted by The Times of India. Large number of clerics, socialists, and journalists have also expressed their support for the campaign.

12:48

JUST IN: Founder and chairman of pharma major Lupin Desh Bandhu Gupta passes away

12:36 Indrani among 200 booked for rioting in jail post convict's death

Nearly 200 Byculla Jail inmates, including Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, have been booked for rioting and other offences following the death of a woman convict.

Manju Govind Shette, a convict, died at the government-run J J Hospital on Friday night after allegedly being beaten up by a woman prison official.

Subsequently, six jail staffers were placed under suspension and yesterday police registered a case under IPC section 302 (punishment for murder) against them.

Following Shette's death, over 200 women inmates of the jail were up in arms since Saturday morning.

Some inmates on Saturday climbed atop the roof of the jail while newspapers were torched inside, a police official earlier said.

The inmates alleged that Shette was beaten up by a woman prison official. They wanted to present the issue before the media which is not permissible under prison rules, he said.

Indrani, who is lodged in the Byculla prison, is among the 200 inmates against whom a case was yesterday registered for rioting, unlawful assembly, assault on public servant and other relevant sections under the Indian Penal Code, a police official said today.

Writing about a "growing convergence" between India and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pitched the mega reform Goods and Services Tax to American business in a signed article in the Wall Street Journal. PM Modi is on a visit to the US and will meet President Donald Trump today.

"The logic of our strategic relationship is incontrovertible. It is further underpinned by faith in the strength of our multicultural societies that have defended our values at all costs, including the supreme sacrifices we've made in distant corners of the globe," the Prime Minister writes, and also, "I expect the next few decades to be an even more remarkable story of ambitious horizons, convergent action and shared growth."

With India's biggest tax reform set to be launched later this week, PM Modi writes that the "transformation of India presents abundant commercial and investment opportunities for American businesses."

"The roll-out of the Goods and Services Tax on July 1 will, in a single stroke, convert India into a unified, continent-sized market of 1.3 billion people. The planned 100 smart cities, the massive modernization of ports, airports, and road and rail networks, and the construction of affordable housing for all by 2022 - the 75th anniversary of India's independence - are not just promises of great urban renewal within India. These plans also showcase the enormous fruits of our relationships with enterprising U.S. partners-worth many billions of dollars over the next decade alone-together with concomitant new employment opportunities across both societies," he writes.

After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the CEOs' Round Table in the United States on Sunday, Google's Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said everyone is excited to invest in India and so is he.

Speaking about the discussion Modi held with top US business leaders, Pichai said, "It (the discussion) was very good. I think it was a discussion across many countries and I think the prime minister was looking for insights into how India can attract more foreign investment and I think there were many many good ideas to discuss. But I think everyone is excited to invest more in India and I am excited we can all do it together."

Pichai also said that he is looking forward to the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax, slated for Friday midnight, and called it a testimony to the fact that reforms can be pushed through. "We are all looking forward to the July 1 rollout. I know it's been a very difficult thing to do. So, I am excited to see it happen. It shows that you can achieve reform by pushing hard for it and I hope its just the beginning."

GST will be rolled out on July 1, during a special midnight session of Parliament that will be held on the intervening night of June 30-July 1.

The first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump is expected to take the Indo-US ties to the next level, Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna said.

Maintaining the upward trajectory of the Indo-US ties of the last three decades, beginning with the Clinton (Bill) administration and followed by those of Bush and Obama, signals coming from both sides strongly indicate stronger continuation in that regard.

"We really think that this visit will leverage the relationship to a higher level," Sarna told PTI.

Modi and Trump, who have earlier spoken three times over phone, would be together spending several hours at the White House, beginning a one-to-one meeting, followed by a delegation level talk, a cocktail reception and a working dinner, the first for a foreign leader inside the White House under the Trump administration.

"It would be historic, never seen before," a mid-level American source familiar with the preparations told PTI.

The source, however, did not elaborate the nature of the outcome of the visit, but reiterated that it would bring the two countries closer than ever.

Trump, has been personally involved in the preparation. Elaborate arrangements are being done by the White House kitchen for Trumps dinner with Modi.

Modi and Trump are among the most followed world leaders on the social media. Together they have more than 60 million followers on their personal accounts.

Terming 'Emergency' as the "darkest chapter" in India's democratic history, Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu stressed the need for dedicating a chapter on it in the school curriculum.

"The Emergency, a historical scar in the minds of one generation, is treated as a curiosity today. It is hardly remembered by younger generations and a few of them can recite the trauma and torture stories of that era. Though four decades have passed, Emergency should not be forgotten and forgiven," said the Union information and broadcasting minister.

"I feel there should be a chapter on Emergency in our school curriculum to make the younger generation know about the murder of democracy and how it was restored. This is quite essential I feel," he said, adding the Indian Council of Historical Research should bring a volume on the same and it should be made part of the curriculum.

He said the younger generation must know what was Emergency, why it was imposed, its effect and how it was lifted.

He also said during Emergency, the role of media was less than inspiring.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too remembered the Emergency in his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday, saying 'such a black night' cannot be forgotten, and underlined the need for eternal vigilance to preserve democracy.

He recalled that democracy-lovers had fought a big battle against the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and said the pro-democracy 'heritage' needs to be strengthened.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that whenever India and the US work together, the world reaps the benefits - be it our collaborative efforts to find affordable vaccines for rotavirus or dengue, our joint studies of gravitational waves.

Writing a signed article in the Wall Street Journal, Modi said, "The logic of our strategic relationship is incontrovertible. It is further underpinned by faith in the strength of our multicultural societies that have defended our values at all costs, including the supreme sacrifices we've made in distant corners of the globe.

He has described the two countries as "mutually reinforcing engines of growth and innovation" in an "uncertain global economic landscape" and has noted that "bilateral trade, which already totals about $115 billion a year, is poised for a multi-fold increase. Indian companies are adding value to the manufacturing and services sectors in the US, with total investments of approximately $15 billion and a presence in more than 35 states, including in the Rust Belt. American companies have likewise fueled their global growth by investing more than $20 billion in India."

You can read the op-ed HERE

Prime Minister Narendra Modi heaped praise on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, saying she and her ministry have set an example of effectively using social media to deliver good governance and help Indians in distress in any corner of the world.

"Social media has become a very powerful. I am also connected with it. But the external affairs ministry and Sushma Swaraj have set the best example of how a department can be strengthened through its use," Modi said in his address to the Indian diaspora during a community event in Virginia.

Modi lauded Swaraj for giving a "human face" to diplomacy and effectively using of social media in delivering good governance. He said the external affairs ministry is now connected with the poorest of the poor in the country.

He also praised Swaraj's habit of promptly responding and acting on tweets by Indians in distress anywhere in the world.

"If any Indian in distress tweets from anywhere in the world to the external affairs ministry, even at 2 in the night, within 15 minutes Sushma Swaraj replies to it, the

government takes prompt action and delivers results. This is good governance," Modi said.

He said in the last three years, India's external affairs ministry has achieved new heights in human diplomacy.

He said that over 80,000 Indians were facing some trouble or the other in different corners of the globe but the Indian government was able to bring them safely back home.

The first meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United States President Donald Trump is expected to take the Indo-US ties to the next level, Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna said.

"We really think that this visit will leverage the relationship to a higher level," Sarna told PTI.

"It would be historic, never seen before," a mid-level American source familiar with the preparations told PTI.

The source, however, did not elaborate the nature of the outcome of the visit, but reiterated that it would bring the two countries closer than ever.

Trump, has been personally involved in the preparation. Elaborate arrangements are being done by the White House kitchen for Trumps dinner with Modi.

Modi and Trump are among the most followed world leaders on the social media. Together they have more than 60 million followers on their personal accounts.

The two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues during their White House interaction.

09:19 PM Modi, Trump greet Muslims on Eid-ul-Fitr

Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Muslims on Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan.

"Eid-ul-Fitr greetings! May this auspicious day further the spirit of peace and brotherhood in our society," he tweeted.

Modi is in Washington to hold talks with US President Donald Trump, who wished Muslims celebrating the festival in a statement, ANI reported.

Yesterday, the White House broke with tradition by not hosting an Iftar dinner for the first time in two decades.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the surgical strikes carried out across the Line of Control proved that India would not hesitate to take the toughest measures to defend itself, while noting that no country in the world had questioned it -- an apparent swipe at Pakistan.

Addressing Indian-Americans at a reception in Virginia, Modi asserted that India has been successful in convincing the world about "the face of terrorism that is destroying peace and normal life" in the country.

"When we talked of terrorism 20 years back, many in the world said it was a law and order problem and didn't understand it. Now terrorists have explained terrorism to them so we don't have to," he said.

Modi said the surgical strikes demonstrated that India, which normally follows the principle of restraint, can also defend its sovereignty and ensure its security when needed.

"When India carried out the surgical strikes, the world realised the our strength and saw that while we exercise restraint, when the need arises, India can also show its

strength and might in dealing with terror and protecting itself," he said to thunderous applause from the diaspora.

India conducted surgical strikes on terror pads across the Line of Control on September 29 last year, 11 days after the Uri attack which claimed the lives of 19 Indian soldiers.

The PM said that the world could have put India in the dock for carrying out the attack accoss the LoC. "But for the first time not one nation in the world raised a

single question, about India's major step to conduct the surgical strikes against terror camps on Pakistani soil."

"It is a different matter for those who had to suffer due to the surgical strikes," Modi said, taking another jibe at Pakistan, amid laughter from the audience.

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