(Photo: X/@MaryMillben)
New Delhi, October 25 (IANS) American singer and actress Mary Millben, who has often voiced her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has said that Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha (LoP) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi is “not the right person to lead India”.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Millben praised Modi’s leadership and criticised Gandhi for “speaking negatively about India while spending most of his time abroad.”
Here is the full interview:
IANS: You praised PM Modi in your tweet and criticised Rahul Gandhi. You said “return to your ‘I hate India tour’” and also questioned Rahul Gandhi's suitability to lead the country. Do you think he is capable?
Mary Millben: “I do not believe he is the right person to lead India. That has already been proven because Prime Minister Modi has succeeded, challenged Rahul Gandhi, and been re-elected. The power of people’s votes is the same in both the United States and India. People have responded three times by saying that Prime Minister Modi is the best leader for India.
Rahul Gandhi’s own choices show that he is not suitable to lead India. He spends most of his time travelling around the world and often speaks negatively about his own country. You cannot constantly criticise the nation and its people and still expect to be elected or be seen as their preferred leader. He visits the United States frequently, and every time he comes here, he speaks poorly about India and Prime Minister Modi. I don’t understand how someone can expect to lead a country that they speak so negatively about.”
IANS: Congress leaders and supporters have been trolling you for supporting Prime Minister Modi and criticising Rahul Gandhi. What do you have to say about that?
Mary Millben: My team was alerting me to how there was a lot of conversation about the statement put out about Mr Gandhi. And I would just reiterate what I said, he’s not the right leader for India. He spends most of his time travelling the world, speaking negatively about India. I’ve said this publicly many times. How can one expect to be elected or favoured by the people if they are constantly criticising the country and the people they claim to serve?
Every time he comes to the United States, he speaks negatively about India and the Prime Minister. I simply didn’t appreciate how Mr Gandhi characterised both Prime Minister Modi and my President, Donald Trump.
IANS: What are your thoughts on Operation Sindoor and the way PM Modi handled the aftermath of the terrorist attack?
Mary Millben: “I've certainly said this publicly, but I want to reiterate it because the loss of life and the families that are definitely still grieving will unfortunately never go away. While the news cycles move on and life moves on, all of these families that are affected have not, and will not. So I just offer my condolences again to those families that lost loved ones in that horrific terrorist attack. We're seeing such an escalation of war across the world, and I hope that more leaders like Prime Minister Modi and certainly President Trump, whose leadership has contributed to a number of peace deals recently, become more active in helping to mitigate conflict and bring peace to many regions. I certainly applaud the Prime Minister for his leadership, including some of the sacrifices made to bring peace to the region after that horrific terrorist attack. I applaud the Prime Minister's bold leadership in defending India and continuing to defend India...”
IANS: How has India under Prime Minister Modi been dealing with the US tariff issue?
Mary Millben: I know that is a part of his (President Trump) diplomacy as it relates to tariffs in India and across the world. It's the same for Prime Minister Modi, who always puts India first. And so his diplomacy will always have that in line with negotiations with the United States. But I will say that I applaud PM Modi. If I were to be honest, I was not very pleased with the way the Trump administration was so aggressive with Prime Minister Modi, almost to the extent of bullying PM Modi into coming to the table. I didn't appreciate that approach.
IANS: On the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections, how do you see the political scenario and leadership?
Mary Millben: I'm certainly supportive of Mr. (Nitish) Kumar and his leadership now, and how his contributions and his position have contributed to the success of the Prime Minister and the BJP. But yes, I hope to see great success for the Prime Minister's agenda in Bihar. And, you know, I certainly look forward to visiting Bihar when I come... There's also a young girl (Maithili Thakur) for whom I was sent some information. She's a young artist. I think she was a folk singer. And I was very excited to see that she has entered politics. I love her singing, and I love her artistry. I think it's beautiful that she has dedicated so much of her life at a young age to continuing the traditional music and the sounds of India. But I was so elated and excited to see her enter politics. And so I wish her well.”
IANS: You've performed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and have spoken about your admiration for India. What is it about India that resonates with you?
Mary Millben: It is no secret that I love India and I love the Indian people and Indian communities across the world. Since my introduction to India at a high level through music, and certainly through my advocacy for pro-India policies and for Prime Minister Modi, I feel blessed to now call India and its people a part of my heart, not only for the music and culture, but for the shared values... Growing up, we had a wonderful woman in our home, Smita Patil, of Indian origin, who helped take care of us while my mother had a busy life as a pastor. She became like a big sister and helped raise us, immersing us in Indian culture, cuisine, and even music from a very young age. I credit Smita a lot because she introduced us to many aspects of Indian culture.
IANS: Can you share a memorable experience or moment you've had with Prime Minister Modi?
Mary Millben: I have great respect for PM Modi, who has certainly become a good friend. I would probably say my most memorable experience was when the Prime Minister came to the United States as a guest... I was invited to attend a Yoga Day at the United Nations in New York with the Prime Minister, Richard Gere, and some other attendees. I was so honoured to be seated very close to, I believe, the head of the UN at the time. We were seated very close together for the yoga day. I would probably say that, of course, performing for the Prime Minister was a huge honour, but the most memorable part was that day because it was my first time seeing the Prime Minister in a more relaxed setting. It was beautiful to see him so kind and communicative with everyone there, especially with the many young people present. Watching him participate in yoga was extraordinary.
IANS: You've had an incredible career spanning various genres and performances. What drives your passion for music?
Mary Millben: My passion for music, you know, that's a great question. It started quite early in life as a woman of faith, as a Christian woman.
I grew up in a very religious home, both my mother, who's a single mom who raised four kids, but she was in the ministry for 20, 30 plus years and was a music pastor, so we grew up singing in church, and so if I were to be honest, my origins didn't necessarily start in school. They started in church, and that love for music certainly morphed into a desire to study music in college and then certainly now go into a professional singing career. Now, this was not my first choice, I'll be honest.
