WASHINGTON – The US State Department has confirmed in a letter to Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) that Modi will not be granted a US visa for the upcoming World Gujarati Conference in New Jersey being held on the weekend of August 29-31, 2008. Amidst lobbying efforts by his supporters to get his US visa reinstated, Modi was invited to attend the World Gujarati Conference by its organizers.

Responding to the July 8th letter written by Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, Mr. Matthew Reynolds said: “The Department of State is extremely sensitive to your concerns and we are cognizant of the human rights abuses Mr. Modi has committed”. It further stated: “We have thoroughly searched Department records and located no current nonimmigrant visa applications for Mr. Modi. However, should we receive an application, we assure you it will be adjudicated in strict accordance with the Immigration and Naturalization Act, including Section 212(a)(2)(G) which states that ‘any alien who, while serving as a foreign government official, was responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom, as defined in section 3 of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C 6402) is inadmissible’”.

A total of 32 US Lawmakers have so far written letters to the State Department expressing concern over human rights abuses in Gujarat and urging the denial of US visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi for his impending visit to New Jersey.

A concerted grassroots campaign generated over 12,000 individual letters to US lawmakers across the United States. These letters were written by members of the Indian Diaspora and mainstream Americans, expressing alarm and concern over Modi’s reported US visit and the continuing persecution of minorities in his state.

A delegation from Coalition Against Genocide met with offices of several Representatives of the House and Senators and appraised them with Modi’s gory record of aggravated human rights violations of minority citizens in the state of Gujarat. Letters from the constituents were also delivered to the respective senators and congresspersons. The delegation also had detailed meetings with the foreign policy and human rights legislative aides to 11 Senators including Senators Barack Obama (IL), John Kerry (MA), Richard Durbin (IL), Edward Kennedy (MA), Charles Schumer (NY), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Norm Coleman (MN), Benjamin Cardin (MD), Mel Martinez (FL), Bill Nelson (FL), Frank Lautenberg (NJ).

The offices of a number of Senators and Congresspersons have since spoken with the State Department officials and have placed requests for monitoring the visa status of Modi and incidences of human rights abuses in Gujarat.

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