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Biden jokes about possible India connection in meeting with Modi

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Joe Biden shares a light moment with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House. — AFP

Joe Biden shares a light moment with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Oval Office of the White House. — AFP

Washington - The US president recalls a letter received from an Indian with Biden as last name when he was first elected as a senator in 1972

Published: Fri 24 Sep 2021, 11:01 PM

  • By
  • PTI

US President Joe Biden on Friday pleasantly spoke about his possible India connection during his first meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He recalled a story about a man with the Biden surname writing to him when he was first elected as a Senator in 1972. He said during his visit to Mumbai as the US vice-president in 2013, he was asked about if he has any relatives in India.

“I said I’m not sure but when I was elected as a 29-year-old kid in 1972, before I was sworn in, I got a letter from a person named Biden, last name, from Mumbai. I was never able to follow up,” he said.

He said that the next morning, the press told him that there were five Bidens living in India.

Elaborating more on this, Biden jokingly said: “There was a Captain George Biden in the East India tea company. That is hard for an Irish person to admit. I shouldn’t be so casual. I hope you are able to understand the humour. The end result was that he apparently stayed and married an Indian woman.”

“I have never been able to track it down so the whole purpose of this meeting is to help me figure it out,” Biden said, triggering laughter among those present in the meeting room, including the Indian prime minister.



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