Narendra Modi now the toast of US Congress

The United States, which denied a visa to Narendra Modi when he was chief minister of Gujarat, now wants the Indian prime minister to address a joint session of the US Congress during a visit to Washington in September.

The decision to invite Modi was taken after Republican senator Ed Royce (California) who is chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote to House Speaker John Boehner requesting him to invite Modi to address a joint session of the House and Senate during his trip, says a Reuters report.

"In every aspect - whether it be in political, economic or security relations - the United States has no more important partner in South Asia," the letter said. "It is not an overstatement to say that the US-India relationship will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century."

The letter was also signed by North Carolina Republican Representative George Holding and Congressional aides expect an invitation to be issued to the Indian leader.

Interestingly, it was the Republication administration under President George W Bush that denied Modi a visa in 2005 under a 1998 US law that barred entry to foreigners who have committed "particularly severe violations of religious freedom."

Modi who had just become Gujarat's chief minister in 2002 denied any wrongdoing during the riots that caused the death of more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, in the state. The Supreme Court ruled in 2010 that Modi need not stand trial for the riots that followed the burning of train carrying Hindu pilgrims.

The United States sees India as a natural ally and wants its support for the expansion of its political influence and economic and security cooperation in Asia in potential counterbalance to China.

Although India still remains an unwilling partner due to bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles in India and business disputes with the US and a recent political dispute over US treatment of an Indian diplomat accused of mistreating her nanny, the US hopes to overcome these as the common interests of the two counties converge.

The US normally invites foreign heads of states and heads of government to address joint meetings of the Congress to underscore their countries' close allegiance with the United States. So long as India remains central to America's Asia policy, the US administration cannot overlook the Modi factor.

The Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party that swept to power in the 2014 general elections has mandate to rule the country for a five-year term.