Delhi and the adjoining parts woke up to unusually heavy rains causing massive water-logging on major roads. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who’s on his fourth visit to India, was among the lakhs of people who bore the brunt of crippled traffic movement in the city.
His lecture – that was scheduled to start at 10 am – at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was delayed by more than an hour. That led to Kerry making a jibe on his arrival. “Have you come here in boats?” Kerry asked the students and other members of the audience.
He then went on to talk about India’s potential. “India is an established power today,” he said.
Watch John Kerry address the students of IIT-Delhi.
Kerry called for support towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s drive towards increasing renewable sources of power:
Speaking on terrorism, he said that terrorism cannot be tackled by one country. Kerry stressed on the importance of Pakistan’s role in keeping terrorist activities in check.
He did not directly comment on Donald Trump, but said, “You have to rely on the good judgement of the American people. Period.”
State John Kerry also called on China and the Philippines to abide by the international tribunal’s decision on the disputed South China Sea region.
The remarks came ahead of a G20 summit in China on 4 and 5 Sept that is to be attended by global leaders.
Beijing wants to use the meeting in the tourist hub of Hangzhou to lay out a broad strategy for global growth, but talks are likely to be overshadowed by arguments over everything from territorial disputes to protectionism, diplomats said.
Kerry’s proposed visit to three religious sites in the city – Gauri Shankar temple, Jama Masjid and Gurdwara Sisganj Sahib – was cancelled as heavy rains lashed the national capital on Wednesday morning.
Kerry, who is on a three-day-visit, was supposed to visit the sites on Monday but it was postponed.
The US leader has had a difficult time with the city’s traffic since he landed on Monday night.
His convoy was stuck on Satya Marg in Lutyens Delhi for an hour by the “spillover effect” of water-logging in the main carriageways.
Welcome to Delhi, Mr Kerry.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)