Will be considered as per procedure, says spokesperson.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: The Department of State said on Wednesday that it would be willing to accept and consider any application put forth by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for a visa.
The statement comes in light of a letter, allegedly written by at least 65 Members of Parliament (MPs), to US President Barack Obama urging him not to grant Modi a visa to enter the United States. Modi’s party, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), has accused MPs of using “dirty tricks” to hurt the reputation of the BJP and its new star.
“The denial by some MPs […] shows that this is a clear conspiracy […] of the Congress. Some MPs have said their signatures were forged. There should be a thorough probe into the matter and the guilty should be booked,” said BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar.
Modi was first denied a visa by the US in 2005, when his home state of Gujarat was embroiled in communal riots that left parts of the state absolutely devastated. The US cited “the violation of religious freedoms” at the time as their reason for denying the visa, and since then many people in both the US and India have lobbied in favor of and against Modi attaining a visa.
Modi has not applied for a US visa since then. The United Kingdom revoked a similar visa ban on Modi, last year.
The United States, however, seems unfazed by the controversy, and made it clear Modi’s visa application would be considered as per their standard procedure.
“If Chief Minister Modi applies for a visa, his application will be considered to determine whether he qualifies for a visa in accordance with US immigration law and policy,” said Jen Psaki, spokeswoman for the US State Department, in response to a question by a journalist at a press conference at the State Department.
The spokesperson added, “but as you know, we don’t talk about the specifics of that process or individual cases. But he would, of course, be considered if he were to apply.”
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com