67 lawmakers show up to welcome Shringla

WASHINGTON: In a ringing endorsement of ties with India, 67 US lawmakers joined a reception on Capitol Hill on Thursday to welcome the new Indian ambassador to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

Numbers matter on the Capitol Hill and 67 is a significant turnout. It is one that drew comparison with the attendance at an event about Israel, whose clout in the US is seen as the gold standard.

Shringla took office earlier in January and presented his credentials to US President Donald Trump soon after.

Generally, ambassadors are known to take while, sometimes months, to get to that stage.

The American lawmakers arrived at Shringla’s welcome party in groups as well as solo, sometimes accompanied by their Indian-american constituents.