Indian MPs join hands against Modi, write to Obama to not issue visa

New Delhi, July 23: Sixty-five Members of Parliament (MPs) including 40 from the Lok Sabha and 25 from the Rajya Sabha have written to US President Barack Obama on two different occasions asking him not to grant a visa to Narendra Modi.

The MPs, who belong to 12 political parties of the country, said in their writing: "We wish to respectfully urge you to maintain the current policy of denying Mr Modi a visa to the United States."

The two letters, dated November 26 and December 5 of 2102 respectively, were re-faxed to the White House on Sunday, July 21. The latest move was taken when BJP president Rajnath Singh reached the US. Singh had earlier informed that he would urge the US officials to grant a visa to the Gujarat chief minister.

Mohammed Adeeb, an Independent MP of the Rajya Sabha who took the initiative for this campaign, said they sent the letters to Obama again after he latest initiative was taken by Singh for getting a US visa for Modi. The letters are being made public only now, he added.

Earlier it was reported that the US was divided over the controversy. While the Democrats were not in favour of allowing a visa to Modi, the Republicans were in favour of it.

The US has been denying Modi a visa citing his alleged role in the 2002 Gujarat pogroms although other western countries have lifted the ban from over him.

OneIndia News
(With PTI inputs)