The Hindu : Front Page : No official meeting in Britain for Modi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 24, 2005

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Front Page

No official meeting in Britain for Modi

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 23. The Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, can visit the United Kingdom, but can expect nothing more from British officialdom, which has been following a policy of "non-contact" with him since the February 2002 killings.

There had been no high-level contact with Mr. Modi since the Gujarat carnage, sources in the British High Commission said today.

Even when Mr. Modi visited the United Kingdom in 2003, he had no official meetings.

The sources said the British Government, like other European nations, had taken a clear stand that it would have nothing to do with Mr. Modi after the Gujarat killings.

The British High Commissioner to India, who has travelled around the country, visiting State capitals and meeting the Chief Ministers as part of his diplomatic duties, has not gone to Gujarat since February 2002.

Of late, key foreign governments have made it a point to keep in touch with the Chief Ministers in order to further their interests.

However, in the case of Gujarat a clear exception has been made and the focus of contact is now States such as Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The message to Mr. Modi is loud and clear — he is not being denied permission to enter the U.K.; but the expression of displeasure is evident because no official meeting is being planned with him.

Mr. Modi is scheduled to leave for London on Friday.

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