Monday, March 21 2005 22:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (Mar 21, 2005) termed as "unfortunate" the US insistence on denying visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and said "rigidity" did not augur well for friendly relations between the two countries.

The party also rejected Washington's reasoning for the decision, saying it was not right on part of the US to indict Modi in Gujarat riots, particularly when no court of law has such a view.

"It is unfortunate," BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters reacting to America's assertion that it would stick to its original stand of denying visa to Modi, rejecting India's request for reconsideration.

Pointing out that the US did not have the courtesy of even heeding to the request made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the BJP leader said "rigidity does not augur well for friendly relations between the two countries."

He maintained that the decision did not apply only to Modi but to the entire country considering that an elected head of a State Government had been denied visa and the entire country had opposed it irrespective of political affiliations.

"India's record in freedom of speech and religion and democracy is known world over. We do not require a certificate on it from the US," Naqvi said, alleging that America has been hosting leaders who have been found guilty of crimes like human rights violations.

He wondered why such a decision was taken now, pointing out that Modi had already visited US a number of times since Gujarat riots occurred.