External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the strength of India-US relations on Friday, stating that the United States will always seek partnership with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regardless of who holds the US presidency.
"Whosoever will be the President of America will have good relations with India, because America will always want to have a partnership with PM Modi," Jaishankar asserted while interacting with students in Pune at the Marathi translation launch of his book, 'Why Bharat Matters'.
His comments come as ties between the two nations appear to be deepening. Last month, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti met with International Trade Administration Assistant Secretary Arun Venkatraman to discuss strengthening India-US trade relations, highlighting the strategic importance of the partnership. Garcetti also commended the East West Center's role in fostering ties between the US, Asian, and Pacific Islands.
Jaishankar sought to downplay recent incidents involving Indian students in the United States, emphasizing that they were isolated events and not politically motivated.
"The incidents that happened with students in America are not political," he said. "We have told the embassy to maintain maximum contact with the student community. All the cases are individual cases, there is no connection with each other."
These statements follow a series of distressing incidents in the US involving Indian nationals or those of Indian origin. Just within the first two months of 2024, five Indian students have died in separate incidents. Additionally, 41-year-old Vivek Taneja succumbed to injuries sustained in an assault in Washington.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has condemned the deaths, stating they were due to various causes. Investigations into two recent cases remain ongoing, and Indian authorities are working with relevant US counterparts.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted the unfortunate deaths during a Friday press briefing, noting the approximately 10 Indian students who have died in the US since January.
