US hasn't changed policy on granting Modi a visa, says diplomat

Nagpur: There has been no change in the policy of the United States on granting visa to Gujarat Chief minister and BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, a top US official said here today. “We have not changed our policy on the issue of grant of visa to Modi,” Consul General of the United States in Mumbai, Peter Haas, said here while talking to reporters informally. [caption id=“attachment_1198849” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Narendra Modi. AFP[/caption] Haas, who is on a two-day visit to the city, said the global economic recession will have no impact on the Indo-US trade. “There is no trade deficit in India and indeed it is the US which is suffering,” he said. About eight lakh Indians had applied for the US visa last year and about seven lakhs were granted, including a large number of students, the diplomat said. Earlier in the day, Haas visited the prestigious Multi Modal Passenger and Cargo Hub (MIHAN) and interacted with travel and tour agents. He also said that the MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility, being jointly set up by Air India and US aircraft major Boeing at the Mihan SEZ in Nagpur, would be completed by this December. Hass also visited Deekshabhoomi, the memorial of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar in the city, and paid floral tributes to the dalit leader. He was quite impressed by the historic monument and also sat under the ‘Bodhi’ tree there. PTI