New Delhi, Sep 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed a massive gathering of the Indian diaspora in New York's Nassau Coliseum which was packed with excited and cheerful looking faces, and reverberating with chants of "Modi, Modi".

During his speech, PM Modi highlighted India's growing ties with the US. Addressing the crowd, he thanked the people for turning up at the event, making people repeat "Bharat Mata ki Jai" before concluding his speech.

Among the many issues PM Modi stressed during his speech was the BJP-led Central government's return to power. The crowd was heard raising slogans of "Ab ki Baar, Modi Sarkar" while the PM was speaking on the subject.

More than 16,000 people - many of them travelling from all corners of the US overnight - have gathered at the Long Island to listen to PM Modi's speech at the community reception.

A cultural programme, depicting the diversity of Indian culture, began long before the PM's arrival at the packed venue.

A tight security cordon has been laid around the entire area with the Transportation Security Agency, which checks passengers at airports, conducting a similar operation by funnelling visitors through metal detectors, making them remove phones and metal objects, and checking their bags.

"After programmes in Delaware, landed in New York. Eager to be among the diaspora at the community programme in the city and to take part in other programmes," PM Modi posted on X after landing in New York early Sunday morning, India time.

This would be the second big event that Nassau County authorities will be handling in less than a week after former US President Donald Trump held an election rally at the Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday.

On Saturday, immediately after his arrival in Philadelphia, the Prime Minister had shared his eagerness to meet the Indian diaspora and Americans from across the US at the New York event.

"The Indian community has distinguished itself in the USA, making a positive impact across diverse sectors. It's always a delight to interact with them. At around 9:30 PM India time on Sunday, 22nd September, I will address the 'Modi and US' programme in New York City. Let's celebrate the bonds that connect our nations!" he mentioned after landing in Philadelphia following a nearly 16-hour journey from Delhi.

Preparations for the key engagement, sandwiched between the Quad Summit convened by US President Joe Biden in Delaware on Saturday and PM Modi's address to the United Nations Summit of the Future on Monday, have been going on for the past many weeks with the organisers overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to attend the event billed as 'Modi and US, Progress Together'.

"We are just so proud of Modiji, and we're proud to be part of this great celebration. Modiji, we love you, and we want you to be very successful in whatever you're doing for our country," said a lady who had arrived early at the venue on Sunday.

The multi-purpose arena, which is the home of the Long Island Nets basketball team, is in Uniondale, about 50 km from Manhattan.

"This is an event that's being organised by the community. As you know, we have about 4.5 million strong Indian diaspora in the United States, amongst the largest such groups there, and one that has made a mark for itself and is contributing to the relationship between the two countries by acting as a vibrant living bridge between the two of us," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said earlier.

--IANS

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