As Narendra Modi seeks a fresh mandate in Gujarat and also eyes prime ministership, a bipartisan group of 25 US Congressmen has asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to continue denying him visa, claiming he has not adequately pursued justice for victims of the 2002 riots. “As… justice has yet to be fully realised for the victims of the riots, we ask that you continue to deny Mr Modi a visa,” the lawmakers from the US House of Representatives said in a letter to Clinton.
Dated Nov. 29, the letter, which comes ahead of the Gujarat polls on Dec. 13 and 17, was released to the press on December 3 by Republican Congressman Joe Pitts and Frank Wolf on the eve of their press conference with family members of victims of the 2002 riots. As the Gujarat CM “continues to pursue a potential run for higher office, we believe a change in policy to his request for a visa will only embolden Modi and his govt’s efforts to obstruct further investigations…to bring the perpetrators to justice,” Congressmen said.