Before Donald Trump became US President, he had admired Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his governance, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday.
"When Donald Trump was contesting the election in 2016, he had said that the way the Indian government was working under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, in the same way, the US government will work," Mr Adityanath said while addressing a rally in Bengal.
At numerous occasions, the US President has acknowledged his friendship with PM Modi.
"I am thrilled to salute you PM Modi and all that you have accomplished," the US President had when PM Modi visited him in 2017.
In renowned journalist Bob Woodward's book "Fear: Trump in the White House", Mr Trump was quoted as saying - "Prime Minister Modi of India is a friend of mine. I like him very much."
During Diwali celebrations at the White House in November last year, Mr Trump had said that the United States has deep ties with India and he was grateful for his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Uttar Pradesh chief minister was scheduled to address two rallies in Bengal on Sunday, but after he was denied permission by Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government, he had to address the people on cellphone.
Attacking Ms Banerjee, he said, "You have seen Mamata (Banerjee) saving a corrupt officer in Saradha chit fund scam. There cannot be a more shameful and condemnable act (than this) in a democracy."
He was referring to Ms Banerjee's sit-in protest against a CBI team which attempted to arrest Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar. After the CBI team arrived at Mr Kumar's Kolkata home, it was blocked by the city police, bundled into buses and detained. Ms Banerjee called the move against her police chief a "constitutional breakdown" and launched a sit-in protest that lasted three days.
"We are not stopping the fight, we are taking it to Delhi," the Chief Minister had said after calling off her sit-in protest yesterday.
(With Inputs From ANI)
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