Sydney: 'The Boss' Narendra Modi The Rockstar

Sydney : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "The Boss", his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday at a grand community event in Sydney for the Indian diaspora.

In his introductory remarks, Albanese referred to the vast audience and compared PM Modi's popularity to that of legendary rockstar Bruce Springsteen, who is also known by fans as "The Boss".

“The last time I saw someone on this stage was Bruce Springsteen and he did not get the welcome that Prime Minister Modi has got. Prime Minister Modi is the boss,” Albanese said as he witnessed the rousing welcome that PM Modi received from the crowd who chanted slogans like ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, ‘Vande Mataram’, and ‘Modi, Modi’.

Earlier, PM Modi was given a traditional welcome, including Vedic chanting as he arrived at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park. The event began with cultural performance by Indian dancers.

Speaking before PM Modi, Albanese spoke about his bilateral meeting with PM Modi scheduled after the event. "It will be our sixth meeting that we've had together since I was sworn in as Prime Minister one year ago today. It shows how important the relationship between Australia and India is. India will grow to be the third largest economy in the world. It's already the most populist country in the world. And it's an important neighbor in the Indian Ocean, that we share. And that is why this is a relationship that we need to invest in," he said.

Australia is a better place because of the contribution of the Indian diaspora, Albanese said. "India is a key strategic partner. We have a rich friendship, we have a very affectionate sporting rivalry, of course, on the cricket fields of the world and we will of course contest the championship once again, later, very shortly, both part of a growing and dynamic region and Prime Minister Modi is a very welcome visitor to our shores," he remarked.