Monday, March 21 2005 19:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India today (Mar 21, 2005) regretted that the US has not revised its decision not to grant visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi inspite of its request for an urgent reconsideration.

Observing that the US Embassy has conveyed that its Government's decision in the matter stands, External Affairs Ministry spokesman said, "This disregards the fact of the constitutional position of the Chief Minister of Gujarat as a democratically elected leader and appears to be based on selective judgment."

Government, he said, believed that democratic tradition and practices must uphold the dignity of political office that is the result of elections and a mandate given by the people of a country or State.

"While it is the sovereign right of a country to grant or deny visas, Government do not find this decision by the United States in keeping with the objectives that India and the US share as democratic countries," the spokesman said.