http://www.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=73996&cat=India India urges US to review Modi visa cancellation issue:- New Delhi | March 18, 2005 8:29:26 PM IST The Indian government on Friday summoned the deputy chief of mission of the Embassy of the United States of America, Robert Blake, with regard to Washington rejecting the grant of a visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Informed sources at the Ministry of External Affairs said that Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran met Blake and told him to urge Washington to review the decision. Sources said that Saran had also told Blake that the Indian government was concerned about the matter, and had described the step as regrettable Blake said that he would convey the Indian government's concerns to his government. Modi, who was due to visit the United States at the end of the month, on the other hand, hit out at the US for revoking his visa, saying it amounted to an "insult" to India and reflected Washington's effort to show this country in "poor light." He asked the Central government to "rise above political considerations" and intervene in the matter. He also said that he would be writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard. Earlier, in a stinging snub to Modi, the United States denied him a diplomatic visa and revoked his tourist-cum-business visa under a law that bars such a privilege to anyone who carries out severe violations of religious freedom. Modi has been denied diplomatic visa and his tourist-cum-business visa, already granted, has also been revoked under a section of US Immigration and Nationality Act, a spokesman of the US Embassy said here. The Act prohibits anybody who was "responsible for or directly carried out at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom." The Chief Minister was to pay a five-day visit to the US from March 20 and some Indian-American groups had threatened to organise protests against him and two American Congressmen had planned to introduce a resolution condemning the policies and actions of the state administration in the light of post-Godhra riots that rocked the state in 2002. "We can confirm that Chief Minister of Gujarat state, Narendra Modi, applied for but was denied the diplomatic visa under section 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act because he was not coming for the purpose that qualified for diplomatic visa," the spokesman said. "His tourist/business visa was revoked under section 212 (a) (2) (g) of the Act which makes any government official who was responsible for or directly carried out at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom, ineligible for visa," he added. Meanwhile, the BJP also reacted sharply to denial of visa by the US to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi saying it was "unwarranted" and had caused "insult" to the entire nation. The party asked the Central government to intervene in the matter and make a statement, particularly clarifying whether it was done "in its knowledge". "Granting visa is the sovereign right of any state but the manner in which it was done and reasons given (for denial of visa to Modi) are unacceptable," senior BJP leader and former External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha told reporters here. Sinha said the Central government should take up this issue "strongly" with the US Embassy and government. "Modi was going to the US on an invitation from Gujarati community. The US Administration has come to the conclusion without checking facts with Gujarat government. This is unwarranted," Sinha said. Party Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said denial of visa to the elected head of a state government was an "insult to the entire nation." (ANI) -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
