The Prime Minister signs autographs for children in Washington DC on Tuesday. — PTI
It was only warm water for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who turned out to be the most unusual guest in the history of the White House where he was the only one who ate nothing at President Barack Obama’s private dinner for him on Monday night.
A plate in front of the Indian leader remained empty as some of the most powerful men and women in the world seated around the table ate compressed avacados, crisped halibut, saffron Basmati rice and salmon.
Mr Modi only had warm water and asked the rest of the guests not to feel embarrassed and continue with their normal dinner, external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said. Mango creme brulee, a classic baked cream dessert, was also served during the dinner.
Mr Modi has been observing Navratri fasts for the last 40 years and this year it coincided with his five-day US visit from September 26.
“Kem chho?” is how US President Barack Obama welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarati at the doorstep of the White House, ahead of the rare private dinner hosted in his honour.
“Thank you very much, President”, Mr Modi responded as the two leaders shook hands and walked inside. “Kem chho”, which means “how are you”, is a common greeting among Gujaratis. The dinner was attended by a limited number of guests from each side. While from the US vice-president Joe Biden, deputy secretary of state William J. Burns, national security adviser Susan Rice and USAID’s Rajiv Shah were among the nine guests, the Indian delegation had external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, national security adviser Ajit Doval, Indian ambassador S. Jaishankar and foreign secretary Sujatha Singh, among others.