Modi joins an elite club of leaders who addressed the US Congress more than once. This moment is ripe for our Parliament to imbibe a few good practices
Only five world leaders have addressed a joint session of the United States (US) Senate and House of Representatives more than once. Former British Prime Minister (PM) Winston Churchill and Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel did it thrice. Nelson Mandela first spoke as a private individual in 1990, when the South African government released him from prison after 27 years. He came back four years later, as the president of his country. The then PM Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and, more recently, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine also addressed the US Congress on two occasions. On June 22, PM Narendra Modi will join this exclusive club. A US Congressman described the invitation to Modi as “the most important accolade that we recognise leadership across the world”.