'Clinton will carry forward Obama's legacy on Indo-US ties'

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton would "carry forward" US President Barack Obama's legacy on Indo-US ties, a top Indian-American Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur has asserted while underlining that the same cannot be said about her Republican rival.

"There is no doubt about it. She (Hillary Clinton) would carry forward Obama's legacy on India and Indian-Americans," Ajay Jain Bhutoria, an entrepreneur and Clinton campaign fund raiser, said.

One of the major Indian American fund raisers for the Clinton Campaign, Bhutoria hosted former US President Bill Clinton at his home in May for a fund raiser.

The 44-year-old entrepreneur also co-hosted several fundraisers for Hillary in Bay Area, attended among others by Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Asserting that the latest FBI move is unlikely to have much impact on the results of the November 8 general elections, as people have already made up their mind, Bhutoria said Clinton not only has a strong track record on India-US relationship, but also has strong ties with the Indian- American community.

In her memoir 'Hard Choices', Clinton said a key aspect of US policy during her stint as secretary of state was bringing India "more fully into the Asian-Pacific political scene", especially as a counterweight to China.

During her much-publicised visit to Chennai in 2011 she said, "Much of the history of the 21st century will be written in Asia, which, in turn, will be influenced by the partnership between the US and India and its relationship with neighbours," Bhutoria pointed out.

As secretary of state, she has weighed in favour of India in rebalancing America's foreign policy, he said.

Asserting that Clinton has been strongly fighting for immigration reform, Bhutoria said she believes that immigration is good for this country, by attracting talented people who build businesses and expand the economy.

"Each successive wave of migration has helped this country. Hillary Clinton has vowed to reduce the visa backlog. Applicants from the Asia-Pacific region make up about 40 per cent of the family visa backlog. Some from India have been waiting for a visa for 12-14 years under family category," he said.

Bhutoria, who serves on the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) leadership Council's policy committee for the Hillary Clinton Campaign, was instrumental in including issues related to Indian-Americans in the immigration related issues in the policy paper released by the campaign this summer.