US denies any change in visa policy for Modi

She said it was certainly not a reflection of anything changing regarding America's longstanding and strong advocacy for human rights around the world.

"We do broad outreach with a range of officials in India and many countries around the world with different backgrounds. And it's simply just an example of that," she said.

Reiterating that the US does not take positions in elections of any country, Psaki argued that Powell meeting Modi is not an example of the US taking a position.

"We don't take positions. So no, it wouldn't be a reflection of that. It is just a reflection, as I've stated a few times, of us reaching out to a range of individuals from different backgrounds, different political affiliations, which we do in countries around the world," she said.