NEW YORK, May 9 – The US says it is looking forward to working closely with “whoever becomes the next Indian prime minister”, comments that could be interpreted as Washington warming up to opposition Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Press Trust of India
(PTI) reports.
“We will work very closely with whoever is the next prime minister of India. I can guarantee that. I am sure we will have meetings here,” Department of State’s deputy spokesperson Marie Harf said in a video conference briefing on US foreign policy updates on Thursday.
She was responding to a question on how the US would engage a new Indian government led by Modi.
In 2005, the US denied Modi a visa on the basis of alleged human rights violations after the 2002 Gujarat riots.
“We look forward to continuing to work with India on a whole range of issues, whoever the winner (of elections) ends up being,” Harf said in response to how the US would resolve Modi’s visa issue if he were elected prime minister.
On the nuclear policy in BJP’s election manifesto, Harf said: “The US is waiting to see the outcome of the election, see what the (Indian) government looks like. I don’t want to get ahead of the election process.”
India’s Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament) elections conclude on May 12 and vote counting will take place on May 16.
–BERNAMA
