PM Modi meets Tulsi Gabbard, gifts her gangajal from Maha Kumbh, Rudraksh mala
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who is on an official visit to India, on Monday met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who presented her with Gangajal from the recently concluded Maha Kumbh Mela.
PM Modi also presented Gabbard with a rudraksha bead mala.
In a post on X, PM Modi welcomed Gabbard to India and said that the two exchanged views on further strengthening comprehensive global strategic partnership between New Delhi and Washington.
“Both countries are committed to combating terrorism and enhancing maritime and cyber security cooperation,” he added.
The Prime Minister and Gabbard had met each other in the United States last month after the US intelligence chief was newly elected to her post. PM Modi said that the two had discussed India-US friendship and congratulated her for becoming US President Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence.
Gabbard is on a two-and-a-half-day trip to India in the first high-level visit to New Delhi by a top official of the Trump administration.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Gabbard cited the meeting between PM Modi and President Trump and said that there is no limit to cooperation between India and the US.
“I think there’s not any bounds to where the United States and India are looking to cooperate,” she said.
She noted that during the two leaders’ meeting at the White House last month, they resolved to expand trade and investment to make their citizens more prosperous and nations stronger.
Talking about the tariff threat to India, Gabbard also said that New Delhi and Washington are engaged in a direct dialogue at the very top.
“There is more potential for strengthening our economic relationship and I’m glad to see that they’re looking at it in a more positive light than just one that is focused in a negative way when we look at tariffs. Obviously, Prime Minister Modi is looking out for what is in the best interest of India’s economy and the opportunities available for the people of India. Similarly, President Trump is doing the same for the United States, our economic interests and the interests of the American people ” she added.
The US intelligence chief said that both Trump and PM Modi are looking for a “good solution”. She also noted that the friendship between the two leaders is the foundation on which India and the US will build their partnership.
Gabbard meets Rajnath Singh
Earlier in the day, Tulsi Gabbard had met with defence minister Rajnath Singh, who conveyed concerns over the activities of the Khalistani separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) on American soil and urged her to declare it a designated terrorist entity.
In a meeting at Singh’s office in the Raisina Hills, Singh also informed Gabbard about SFJ’s alleged links with Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) as well as its alleged “collaboration” with Babbar Khalsa militant group, and pressed for action against it, news agency PTI reported citing sources.
Singh raised concerns over SFJ targeting various Hindu religious structures in the US and said that such activities must be stopped.