Modi: 'Live' at Madison Square Garden
A chair on the podium intended for the chief guest was left vacant, in a mark of protest. "Five thousand years ago a chair was kept vacant for Sri Ramchandraji," said Sunil Nayak, co-chairman of the Association of Indian Americans of North America, alluding to Lord Ram's exile from Ayodhya.
Modi was beamed live at about 7 pm local time. "My heart is there even though I could not come," he said. He thanked the people for their affection.
He said Gujarat represented the very best of India. "Motivated people and vested interests worked to deny a visa to me. But it will not affect our enthusiasm," he said. "There will be a day when people from other nations stand in queue for a visa to India."
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