Foreign media analyses superstar welcome to Modi in US

Though Modi's event enthralled many, there were many detractors as his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots came under the spotlight during his US visit, international media reports

Modi was received by the 19,000 odd gathering at Madison Square Garden as nothing less than a superstar. “In an arena which has hosted Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley and Muhammad Ali, it was Narendra Modi, a one-time pariah, who received the superstar welcome,” reports the BBC.

As Modi made his appearance on stage, The New York Times reported that the crowd, mostly Indian Americans, “roared as one, as if all the Knicks, all the Rangers, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen had suddenly materialized,” while The Economist called Modi "India’s Margaret Thatcher or Lee Kuan Yew."

Time compared Modi to Swedish DJ Eric Prydz: both use high-tech gadgetry with three-dimensional holograms and a performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on the same day as the common factors.

This was an opportunity for the Indian American community to showcase itself. The organizers, the Indian American Community Foundation, spent $1.5mn (approximately Rs 9 crores) on the event which had laser shows and traditional Indian dances, The Guardian reports.

While Modi enthralled audiences, his role in the 2002 Gujarat riots did not go unnoticed as The Wall Street Journal reports that a human rights group filed a lawsuit against him. Furthermore, until a few months ago, Modi was barred from entering the United States, which changed once he was elected Prime Minister.

The Huffington Post reported that protestors stood outside Madison Square Garden with “signs [that] read ‘Modi, the fascist’ and ‘Stop spreading hate in the name of Hinduism.’

However, the WSJ states that most of the Indian American community was “not worried about the prime minister’s past.”
The New York Times said these protests were “considerably less popular” and that “the protesters had dispersed by the time the arena throngs spilled onto the sidewalk.”

The Huffington Post concludes by stating, “Although Modi remains a divisive figure, the event at Madison Square Garden is a sign of his appeal not just at home but also among the 2.8 million Indian-Americans.”

While major international media outlets described the hyperbole surrounding Modi’s event as Madison Square, John Oliver, a British comedian, political satirist and actor who hosts the popular show in the US ‘Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,’ took a dig at Modi. This is what he had to say: