Washington, July 13: A US lawmaker has asked the
State Department not to grant visa to Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi, accusing him of violating right to religious
freedom.
"Granting a visa to Narendra Modi would be
contradictory to international law and would only serve to
validate the Chief Minister's abhorrent policies and actions,"
Congresswoman Betty McCollum wrote in a letter to Secretary of
State Condoleezza Rice.
The Democratic lawmaker from Minnesota serves on the
House Appropriations Subcommittee on State Department and
Foreign Operations and the Oversight and Government Reform
Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs.
"Denying Modi a visa to enter the US not only will
uphold the law but will send the important message that Modi's
reprehensible statements, policies and actions are abhorrent
to the laws and values of the United States," the letter dated
July 3, 2008 said.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, July 13, 2008, 00:00