Advani wonders US Congress Thinktank Salutes Narendra Modi, Govt Denies Visa: Do we wonder as well?

Source: News Bharati

New Delhi, March 26: Senior BJP leader L K Advani has expressed grief and surprise that the US Congress Think Tank salutes and applauds Gujarat CM Narendra Modi’s governance and at the same time US government denies visa to him. In his recent Blog, Advani has recalled his discussions with then US Secretary of the State, Condoleezza Rice.

BJP leader L K Advani has noted that it’s an ‘irony’ that while the US refused a visa to Modi, a report prepared by a think tank of the US Congress had assigned ‘very high marks’ to him for his governance.

The report ‘India: Domestic Issues, Strategic Dynamics, and U.S. Relations’ which was prepared for the US Congressmen by Congressional Research Service has applauded Gujarat CM Narendra Modi for his excellence in Governance. The report says, “Perhaps India’s best example of effective governance and impressive development is found in Gujarat (pop. 60 million), where controversial Chief Minister Narendra Modi has streamlined economic processes, removing red tape and curtailing corruption in ways that have made the state a key driver of national economic growth. Seeking to overcome the taint of his alleged complicity in deadly 2002 anti-Muslim riots, Modi has overseen heavy investment in modern roads and power infrastructure, and annual growth of more than 11% in recent years. The state has attracted major international investors such as General Motors and Mitsubishi and, with only 5% of the country’s population, Gujarat now accounts for more than one-fifth of India’s exports.”

Advani has also recalled his dialogue with then U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. He says, “I recall that in August, 2008 U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during an official visit to India, called at my residence. Apart from discussions on issues like Indo-U.S. relations and the global war against terrorism etc., I raised with her the issue of denial of U.S. visa to Narendra Bhai Modi. I said to her, “This may be the first time that an elected Chief Minister of a state in the world’s largest and most vibrant democracy has been denied a visa. What really surprised all of us here was that the denial of visa had been announced by Washington without Modi having sought it. “I have not even applied for a visa, Modi has informed me,” I told Ms. Condoleezza. She looked at the officials accompanying her, “Is that true?” she asked. The officials confirmed this, and added that the report was based on an official reply given to a letter from a senator.  The irony is that while the U.S. Government has refused a visa to Modi, a report prepared by a think tank of the U.S. Congress has in a 100 page report assigned very high marks to Modi for his governance.

Praising Modi, Advani said that they were left ‘surprised’ by the denial of visa because it had been announced by Washington without Modi having sought it.

Advani also mentions recent cover story by The Time titled, “Modi Means Business”. Senior BJP leader says, “This year, this U.S. periodical reputed to be the world’s largest circulated news weekly carried on the cover of its issue dated March 26- Gujarat’s Narendra Bhai Modi. The caption given to the cover is ‘Modi Means Business”.

He has drawn attention to some Indian dailies reported the story with the heading, “After Gandhi and Patel, Modi third Gujarati on Time cover.” He refers ‘excellent photograph of Narendra Modi relaxing in his lawns’ has been displayed on full two pages preceding the 2-page write-up on the BJP leader. The write-up by Jyoti Thottam notes at the very outset, “Narendra Modi has defied humble origins to become the powerful leader of booming Gujarat state.”

Advani comments, “Jyoti Thottam writes, His (Modi’s) ability to get things done is in stark contrast to the Congress-led central government in New Delhi. “If you look at the rest of the country, who’s in charge is a big issue, if at all anybody’s in charge,” says Sebastian Morris, a professor of economics at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

“The difference here is that somebody’s in charge, whatever he may do.” In a recent opinion poll by the magazine India Today, 24% of those surveyed thought Modi should be the next Prime Minister; Rahul Gandhi polled 17%.

It was an effect of hate campaign against Narendra Modi in US and the reach of anti India elements to US top ladder resulted into denial of Visa to Gujarat CM.

Angana Chatterji, Chief of this hate campaign against Modi’s US visit in 2004, has written article titled, “How We Made U.S.Deny Visa to Modi” which was published in Asian Age on 22 March 2005.

Chatterji wrote, “Modi is a pracharak (proselytiser) for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the xenophobic Hindu fundamentalist organisation, which, along with other Hindu extremist groups, receives funds from the US and UK. Modi’s current trip to the US would have been a fundraising event.”

She further comments that the Research undertaken by two independent groups, how the ‘Campaign to Stop Funding Hate’ and ‘South Asia Watch Limited’ demonstrate the ‘linkages’ between money raised in the US and UK and Hindu fundamentalism in India, yet little has been done to curtail fundraising for hate. These hate campaigns pressurized then US government to deny Visa to Narendra Modi.

The Hate campaign against Modi still continues. When will it stop? Advani wonders: when we will start wondering?

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