Washington clears Modi for visit after ban

Bush administration had denied Modi a visa in 2005 over the massacre of Muslims.


Agencies May 18, 2014
A US visit could come as soon as the UN General Assembly in New York in September, when Modi could also visit Washington. PHOTO: AFP/FILE

WASHINGTON: As he congratulated Narendra Modi on his election victory on Friday, US President Barack Obama invited India’s prime minister-in-waiting to the White House even though the latter was barred from the country less than 10 years ago over the massacre of Muslims.

Obama told Modi by telephone that he looked forward to working closely with him to “fulfill the extraordinary promise of the US-India strategic partnership,” the White House said on Sunday. “The president invited Narendra Modi to visit Washington at a mutually agreeable time to further strengthen our bilateral relationship.”

A US visit could come as soon as the UN General Assembly in New York in September, when Modi could also visit Washington.

The administration of President George W Bush denied Modi a visa in 2005 under a 1998 US law barring entry to foreigners who have committed “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.”

In 2002, when Modi had just become Gujarat’s chief minister, more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in sectarian riots in the state. Modi denied any wrongdoing. India’s Supreme Court ruled in 2010 he had no case to answer.

But the anti-Modi lobby in the United States has dwindled. In March, a congressional report said Modi would qualify for a visa if he became leader.

US officials “are painfully aware that they are at a real disadvantage by not having a relationship with Modi or really knowing him,” said Milan Vaishnav of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “They are going to try to remedy that as quickly as possible.”


Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2014.

COMMENTS (5)

p r sharma | 9 years ago | Reply

Hypocrisy of USA you may call but that is the rule of the game. When there is probability of hurting your national interest nothing will be allowed to come in between. Every country be it USA, India or Pakistan, is governed by this

Vectra | 9 years ago | Reply Go to see that US reversed its stand and Modi has already said that he will keep his national interest with US first rather than personal interest but that US has do something from its side.India has independent foreign policy and certainly India-Us relation will improve despite some hiccups.BTW Modi thanked President Putin for his will wishes and said he looks forward to making India-Russia relations even stronger in the years to come.Russia is India's very closest partner and will remain so.As far as US is concerned they India cannot reject them also as they cannot reject India and US understands it and trying to correcting its doing by reversing its stand.Good nice developments
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