Applauding people in India for exercising their right to vote in the general elections, the White House said on Friday that there are not too many more vibrant democracies in the world than India.

National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby applauded the people of India for having a voice in their future government.

Kirby told reporters at a press conference, “Not too many more vibrant democracies in the world than India and we applaud the Indian people for exercising you know their ability to vote and have a voice in their future government and we wish them well throughout the process of course.”

He was responding to the question about the US president’s thoughts on India’s general elections.

Responding to another question about the India-US relationship under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the White House official said, “I’m going to stick to the last three years…our relationship with India is extremely close and getting closer.”

“You saw it on a State visit. We have launched all kinds of new initiatives working on critical emerging technologies together and bolstering and expanding the relevance of the Indo-Pacific Quad which India is a part of and then just the people-to-people exchanges and the military cooperation that that we share with India,” Kirby said.

Kirby said, “It is a very vibrant very active partnership and uh and we’re grateful for Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.”

When asked if US President Joe Biden really believes that two of his quad partners India and Japan are xenophobic, Kirby stressed that the president was making a broader point.

“I mean the president was making a broader point here about the vibrancy of our own democracy here in the United States and how inclusive and participatory it is,” Kirby said.