Modi enjoys enormous mandate: Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday said he viewed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi as a leader who had "an enormous mandate from the people of India".

Asked how he felt about hosting Modi in view of the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was the chief minister, Cameron told a joint press conference with Modi that he was pleased to welcome the Indian leader.

"He comes with an enormous mandate from the people of India... with a historic (parliamentary) majority," Cameron said.

He said there had been legal proceedings related to the Gujarat violence but that was in the past, and that he and Modi were discussing the future partnership between India and Britain.

On his part, Modi said he had visited Britain in 2003, a year after the Gujarat riots, and that he got a very good reception even then.

"UK has never stopped me from coming here," he said, in response to a question. "I want to make that clear. That I could not come after 2003 is another matter."