Monday, March 21 2005 19:52 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Gandhinagar: Denied a visa for a business visit to the US, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today (Mar 21, 2005) spoke to an Indian-Americans audience over satellite telling them that a "disinformation campaign" was being launched to malign India.

"I have no grievance against the US or the people of that country over the visa denial issue," he said and went on to criticise those who rallied against his US tour.

Modi asked Indians living in that country to act as ambassadors to counter the propaganda being launched by certain motivated groups having vested interests in defaming India.

Appealing to the NRIs to make India an "investment locale and global hot spot," Modi, in his hour-long address from his residence through tele-conferencing, try to sell the concept of a "robust and developed" Gujarat.

Gujarat is a State with "robust and world class infrastructure, effective water management policy and a gas-based economy", he told a large gathering at New Jersey.

There is sufficient scope of investments in the State with several Special Economic Zones, apparel parks, marine biotechnology parks and pharmaceuticals and agro-product industries, he added.