Modi 'best leader' for India, Indo-US relationship: US singer Mary Millben

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the best leader for India and for the Indo-US relationship, popular singer Mary Millben has said many in the US desire to see him re-elected so that bilateral ties can continue to be strengthened to greater levels.

"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, Millben, a prominent African-American Hollywood actress and singer, told PTI in an interview.

Millben has a huge fan following in India and the Indian diaspora, in particular, after her rendition of the national anthem Jana Gana Mana' and a popular aarti in Hindi, Om Jai Jagadish Hare', last year. She sang India's national anthem in June 2023 at an event in the US during the prime minister's state visit.

 

The 41-year-singer also referred to the election season in 2024 when India is headed for general elections in the next few months while the US has its presidential elections in November.

She said she believes that the Prime Minister is on track to win in May.

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, said the singer, who is a supporter of former US president Donald Trump.

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, she asserted.

The African-American celebrity has earlier too praised Modi for his endeavour to include the African Union as a full member of the G20.

Replying to a question about 10 years of Modi government, the singer said, Prime Minister Modi 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, (he) 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, she added.

Speaking with PTI, she further listed what she considers as achievements of the Modi government in trade, economy, and infrastructure and said, (all such) things that the Prime Minister has done makes him the right candidate and the right leader to continue leading India to greater heights.

As relates to the United States, he (Modi) 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.