May our two great democracies continue to illuminate world with hope: Modi responds to Trump's Diwali wish amid tariff tensions

In his X post, the Indian PM wrote: "Thank you, President Trump, for your phone call and warm Diwali greetings. On this festival of lights, may our two great democracies continue to illuminate the world with hope and stand united against terrorism in all its forms."

The two leaders exchanged greetings at a time when the relationship between India and the US had touched a low point over the Donald Trump-led administration's decision to impose 50 percent tariffs on India.

Trump lit the traditional brass lamp in the White House to celebrate Diwali.

In his message, the President said: "For many Americans, Diwali is a timeless reminder of light’s victory over darkness."

"It is also a time to bring families and friends together to celebrate community, draw strength from hope, and embrace a lasting spirit of renewal.  As millions of citizens light diyas and lanterns, we rejoice in the eternal truth that good will always triumph over evil," he said.

Before the ceremony, Trump addressed reporters when he said he had a 'great conversation' with Narendra Modi.

He said: "Let me also extend our warmest wishes to the people of India."

Trump said: "I just spoke to your Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) today. We had a great conversation. We talked about trade. We talked about a lot of things, but mostly the world of trade. He's very interested in that."

Recently, responding to Trump’s claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured him that India would stop procuring oil from Russia,  New Delhi said  India’s consistent priority is to protect the interests of its people in an unstable energy scenario.

"India is a significant importer of oil and gas. It has been our consistent priority to safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer in a volatile energy scenario. Our import policies are guided entirely by this objective," Ministry of External Affairs' official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal earlier said in a statement.

"Ensuring stable energy prices and secured supplies have been the twin goals of our energy policy. This includes broad-basing our energy sourcing and diversifying as appropriate to meet market conditions," the statement added.