New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in Delhi on March 17 and presented her with water from the Ganga, collected during the Maha Kumbh. This meeting comes hours after Gabbard met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The meeting held in the national capital focused on the anti-India activities conducted on American soil by the banned Khalistani outfit Sikhs for Justice (SFJ).
In a post on X, PM Modi said he was glad to welcome Gabbard to India and said both the US and India were committed to combating terrorism and enhancing maritime and cybersecurity cooperation.
In return, Gabbard gifted Tulsi Mala to PM Modi. The Tulsi Mala, also called Tulsi beads or a Tulsi rosary, carries deep significance in Hinduism, particularly for followers of Lord Krishna. Devotees of Lord Krishna, often known as 'Vishnu Priya' or 'the beloved of Vishnu,' wear Tulsi beads as a mark of their devotion. The beads are believed to provide protection from negative energies, and bad dreams.
Gabbard is on a two-and-a-half-day visit to India as part of a multinational tour.
She arrived in Delhi early on March 16 and held talks with Indian officials on intelligence cooperation, cybersecurity, and defence relations. Her visit comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Washington in February, where he met Gabbard and described her as a strong supporter of India-US ties.
During her visit, Gabbard attended meetings and conferences focused on enhancing bilateral security cooperation. She joined intelligence and security officials from around 20 countries at a conclave chaired by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. The event, organised by the National Security Council Secretariat, has been held alongside the Raisina Dialogue since 2022.
Tulsi Gabbar, during her exclusive interview with NDTV, said “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump are very good friends and focused on shared objectives, which include a firm commitment to defeat Islamic terror worldwide.
"The ties between the US and India go very far back and (in Trump's second term) we are continuing to see the strengthening of that partnership and recognizing the mutual interest of both countries - centered around peace, prosperity, freedom, and security," she said.
"... with President Trump's leadership in the US and of course, Prime Minister Modi's longstanding leadership in India - we have two leaders of two great countries who are very good friends and very focused on how we can strengthen the shared objectives and interests," she said in her interview to NDTV.
