Obama says US poll results not to affect ties with India

Mumbai, Nov 7 (PTI) Given the "strong bipartisan"
support for India in the US, President Barack Obama Sunday
said the results of the Congressional polls in which his
Democrats got a drubbing was not going to affect ties with
this country.
Noting that his country has enormous "fondness" for
India, Obama said the United States does not just see India
as a rising power, saying "we believe India is already risen."
Showering praise on India's dynamic economy and its
strategic role in Asia and beyond, Obama said there is a
strong bipartisan belief in the US that this country is going
to be a critical partner for it in the 21st century.
Obama made these remarks when asked by a student at an
interaction at St Xavier's college how the changes he hopes to
make in the wake of the drubbing by Democrats in the US
Congressional elections would affect India.
The president in his response had also spoken of the
"course corrections" required in his presidency.
Obama said the partnership between India and the US
has "limitless potential" to improve the lives of people of
the two countries.
"Indo-US relations will be indispensable in shaping
the 21st century...The US has enormous fondness for India.
India is going to be a critical partner for the US in 21st
century," he said.
"There is a strong bipartisan belief in the US that
India is going to be a critical partner. It has been true
always whether it is George W Bush presidency or Bill
Clinton's, Democrats or Republicans. I don't think that
fundamental belief is not going to be altered anyway," he
said.
"US does not just see India as a rising power. India is
already risen, we wish India's emergence as good for the US
and the world," Obama said against the backdrop of
oft-repeated assertions by US officials that India is a rising
power.
"Its (India) economy has risen at a breathtaking rate...
we look forward to a greater role for India at the world
stage," he added. PTI MPB
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