Ahmedabad: US Ambassador Timothy J Roemer
on Tuesday skirted a question on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi by saying that he had been asked by President Barack
Obama to connect with the people of India and not only focus
on the PM and CMs.
When asked when was he going to do business with the
Gujarat Chief Minister, Roemer said, "It is the people most
important for us to connect with."
Gujarat Chief Minister Modi was denied visa by the US
government in 2005 in the wake of post-Godhra communal riots
in the state.
"The President of the United States had asked me to
connect with the people of India. He gave me very good advice
at the White House couple of years ago. He said do not only
focus on Prime Minister, members of parliaments, business
leaders, CEOs, chief ministers," Roemer said.
"He (Obama) had said connect with the hearts and minds
of the people, the `Aam Admi`, the common men and women of
India," Roemer, who would be quitting in June, said.
"I have reached out in my travels in the last two years,
to Jammu and Kashmir in North, Chennai in south, Sunderbans in
the east and now to the west in Rajasthan and Gujarat (to
connect with people)," he added.
PTI
