Gujarat verdict: US being immature in denying Modi visa, says BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday hit out at the United States for denial of visa to Narendra Modi, saying to proclaim the Gujarat Chief Minister guilty even when there was no evidence against him despite several probes amounts to “immature diplomacy” and sets a precedent for a “reciprocal” response. The BJP’s attack came a day after a Gujarat court gave clean chit to Narendra Modi in 2002 riots case. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, said the American stance on the issue has clearly been one determined by their ‘kangaroo court’ and asked it to reflect on the “untenable situation.” [caption id=“attachment_1310157” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] BJP alleged that the US is being immature in their boycott of Narendra Modi. AP.[/caption] “To proclaim Modi guilty even when there was no evidence against him despite investigations and re-investigation amounts to immature diplomacy… It constitutes interference in India’s internal affairs. “This myopic American stance has the potential of recoiling back at them. It also sets a precedent for a reciprocal response. It is time Americans reflect on how they have boxed themselves into this untenable situation,” Mr. Jaitley said. “My personal advice to the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate has been that he should not apply for a U.S. visa,” he said. Mr. Modi has not applied for US visa since 2005 after being denied it once. The extent to which false propaganda led to the subversion of debate on this issue needs to be introspected, he said. “A Chief Justice of India without looking into all facts chose an inappropriate expression ‘Nero’. Will he now retract? An editor used the extreme expression ‘mass murderer’,” he said. Some countries otherwise friendly to India held their own ‘kangaroo court’, and decided to proclaim Modi guilty, he said. They ignored the fact that no other Indian politician since Independence had gone through the kind of scrutiny that Mr. Modi went through in the 2002 riots case, he said. PTI