JULY 25- Four days after asserting that he will appeal to the US government to lift its ban on giving visa to Narendra Modi, BJP president Rajnath Singh does a U-turn.
The BJP president now says he has not raised the issue with the Obama administration, leaving it upto the United States to take a call on it.
“It is paradoxical that the US government appreciates Modi’s performance but refuses to grant him visa… I did not bring up the issue of Modi’s U.S. visa,” said Rajnath.
“This is a U.S. administration issue, not ours,” he added.
Rajnath’s remarks came amidst a raging controversy back home with the BJP and the Congress accusing each other of seeking the U.S. intervention on Modi’s visa issue.
The U.S., meanwhile, has washed its hands off the controversy. Talking to the reporters, State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said, “If (the Gujarat) Chief Minister Modi applies for a visa, his application will be considered to determine whether he qualifies for a visa, in accordance with U.S. immigration law and policy.”
“Our policy on this has not changed,” Psaki said when asked about the Modi’s U.S. visa application.
Rajnath Singh is on a five-day visit to the U.S..
INDIA TODAY
