No change in US stand on denial of visa to Modi

The US has clarified that there is no change in its visa policy concerning Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the state department spokesman Victoria Nuland told reporters that US has not changed its position on its stand of not issuing visa to Modi for his alleged involvement in communal riots in Gujarat in 2002.

She was speaking in response to the letter of Congressman Joe Walsh to secretary of state Hillary Clinton urging her to reconsider the US government’s decision to not issue a diplomatic visa to Modi.

"If we do respond, it\\\’ll be along familiar lines," Ms Nuland added.

The State Department said that "the US law is clear that states or government officials responsible for carrying out serious violations of religious freedom are ineligible for a visa".

The letter of Walsh had drew wrath of Indian American Muslim community(IAMC) in US. The community demanded that the state department should not change its visa policy with regard to Modi.

"It is unfortunate that a sitting member of the US Congress should attempt to make a case based on ignorance of the law which was amended in September 2009, specifically to remove the 24-month restriction," IAMC president, Shaheen Khateeb, said.

The US had denied visa to Mr Modi in 2005 for his alleged involvement in the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat.