Indian PM Narendra Modi receives rock star welcome at Wembley arena

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a rock star welcome to the UK at a rally at Wembley Arena, in an "Olympic-style" ceremony celebrating the best of the two nations' cultures, and the largest ever reception staged in Britain for a foreign leader.

Modi arrived in the UK for his three-day visit on Thursday (12 November).The first Indian prime minister to visit the UK in nearly a decade, his trip included an audience with the Queen at Buckingham Palace and a stay at Chequers, hosted by David and Samantha Cameron.

The culmination of his trip was marked by a reception at Wembley Arena as 60,000 supporters turned out for a spectacle of dance, music and culture.

While Samantha Cameron looked elegant in a sari, David Cameron showed off his Hindi greeting the crowd with a traditional welcome. Palms folded he said: " Namaste Wembley...we want them to hear you all the way in Mumbai."

Praising Modi and the close relationship between the two nations, the PM called for a permanent seat for India at the UN security council. He also said he could forsee a day when the UK would be led by a British Asian PM. Breaking into Hindi again, to the delight of the crowd he adopted Modi's election slogan 'Acche din aayenge" meaning "Good days are coming".

Modi then took to the stage to the sound of his name being chanted and the flashing lights from thousands of camera phones. Addressing the crowd in Hindi he described his plans to develop India into an economic superpower. He won cheers from the crowd as he pledged to make India "a country on the same level as any other". He said: "We don't just want charity from others. What we are looking for is equality."

He also pledged to turn India into "a solar energy country". He told the crowd: "India can take the lead in this regard. If the sun is so kind to us, then we can take the rest of the world along with us in this direction." To mark the 150<sup>th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth in 2019 he had two goals, he said: to deliver a country "clean" from corruption and with 24-hour electricity.

The lavish event featured perfomances from singers Jay Sean and Kanika Kapoor and displays of traditional dance and art, combining the colours of the British and Indian flags, symbolically fusing the two cultures and countries together. The event culminated in a dramatic firework display lighting up Wembley.

The British PM has been eager to forge closer trade partnerships between Britain and India, which is recognised as one of the world's fastest growing economies. Modi's visit has already yielded a £9 billion trade deal with India, however, while Wembley was in celebratory mood, his arrival in the UK also sparked widespread protests.

The Hindu Nationalist leader was barred from Britain for a decade until 2012, following riots in Gujarat in which 2,000 Muslims died. Modi was chief minister of Gujarat at the time and has been accused of failing to stop the riots. Nor did he express regret at the loss of life.

He also faces allegations of wider human rights abuses and restrictions of free speech after he banned the broadcast of a documentary highlighting India's atrocious record of sex crimes. India's Daughter followed the story of "Nirbhaya", a 23-year-old who was gang raped and murdered in New Delhi in December 2012.

The film's director Leslee Udwin was at the forefront of the protests, calling on the Indian government to overturn the ban on her documentary about the gang rape that shocked the world.

The Awaaz Network and representatives from the Sikh Lives Matter campaign were also among the protestors, who converged outside Downing Street to call on Prime Minister David Cameron to question human rights abuses under Modi's leadership.