Friday, March 25 2005 09:41 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Ahmedabad: Close on the heels of the denial of American visa to him, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi last night (Mar 24, 2005) cancelled his visit to the United Kingdom hours before he was to fly to London following a telephonic talk with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who advised him not to undertake the trip due to security seasons.

At a late night media briefing, Hasmukh Adhia, Principal Secretary to Modi, said the Prime Minister as also Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the Chief Minister that it was "too risky" for him to go to the UK and he should, therefore, call of his visit.

Modi, who was to pay a three-day visit to UK from today (Mar 25, 2005) to attract foreign investment in Gujarat, decided to cancel the his visit after the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister spoke to him over phone at 22:30 hrs (IST) and persuaded him not to leave for London.

They told him that the Government has information that Modi will be facing security risk during his London visit, the release added.

Several organizations, including South Asia Solidarity Group and AWAAZ, in Britain had announced their decision to organise protests outside the venue of a function at the Royal Albert Hall where Modi was to inaugurate the "Vibrant Gujarat" in a bid to attract FDI to the State.

Modi had to cancel his visit to the US last Friday (Mar 18, 2005) after Washington revoked his tourist visa and denied him diplomatic visa apparently because of the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002.

The Centre's request to the US to reconsider its decision to deny him visa was rejected.

While reaffirming the US rejection of visa, American Ambassador to India David C Mulford had said on Monday (Mar 21, 2005) that the decision was "based on the fact" that as head of Gujarat State Government between February and May 2002, "He was responsible for the performance of State institutions at that time".

Earlier yesterday, Modi said in a speech to the Asian-American Hotel Owners' Association (AAHOA) at Fort Lauderdale in Florida via satellite from his residence in Gandhinagar that investors could look at Gujarat, which was one of the fastest growing regions in India and its tourism sector has lot of potentialities.

This was the second time Modi addressed a gathering of overseas Indians after being denied US visa. On March 20, Modi had spoken to the Indian-American community at Madison Square Garden, New Jersey, from Gandhinagar via satellite.