Senator Cruz was present at the event and also addressed the 50,000-strong audience of Indian-Americans. In his speech he said that “India is the largest democracy on face of earth and America is proud to be your friend”. He also posted images on Twitter where the Senator was seen with his wife and the Indian Prime Minister.

“Heidi and I were honoured to welcome @PMOIndia to Houston today and to celebrate our shared values and goals. Excited for the opportunities that lie ahead for our two countries,” he captioned the images. Mr Cruz took to Twitter ahead of the event where he said that ‘HowdyModi’ was “an important opportunity to reflect on the enormous value of the relationship between the US and India and the progress we’ve made together”. Meanwhile, other prominent Indian-Americans also praised the event. Ravi Batra, a New York-based Indian-American attorney, tweeted: