PM Modi Claims Proof About Possible India Connection Of Joe Biden. Here’s What The Leaders Joked

While talking about the India link, Biden recalled a story from 1972 about a man with the Biden surname writing to him when he was first elected as a Senator.

PM Narendra Modi Meets US Presidents Joe Biden (Image: ANI/Twitter)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first interaction with President Joe Biden showcased bonhomie between the two world powers as the latter joked about having a possible India connection and being a cousin of Modi.

While talking about the India link, Biden recalled a story from 1972 about a man with the Biden surname writing to him when he was first elected as a senator. He reminisced about the incident when he was in Mumbai as the US vice president in 2013 where 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, according to a PTI report.

Biden said the next morning he came to know through press that there were five Bidens living in India. Sharing details, 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," he added.

To this, Modi said he had brought the documents related to Biden's possible relative, Captain George Biden, who had gone to India as a soldier of the East India Company that began the colonisation of India.

Modi said, "You have talked today -- spoken in detail about the Biden surname in India. And, in fact, you had mentioned that to me earlier too. Well, after you mentioned it to me, I hunted for documents. And today, I have brought along some documents."

He added: "Maybe we'll be able to take this matter forward. Maybe those documents could be of use to you."

Biden then popped a question to more laughter: "Are we related?"

"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 PM Modi.