Friday, April 1 2005 20:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: The denial of visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was not to be construed as the US being against Gujarat or the Gujarati community, US Consul General Angus Simmons said today (April 1, 2005).

"We are receiving visa applications from Gujarat everyday and processing several of them and issuing visas to all those qualified for them", Simmons told reporters in Mumbai.

To a question whether the "US which apparently had something against the label Patels would now include Modis in the list too", Linda Cheatham, Director of American Centre said, "The US has nothing against any particular community. We don't go by the last names while issuing visas be it Patels or Modis".

"Every case is treated on its own merit", she said.