Modi working on image abroad

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi is on a drive to improve his image abroad. On Monday, he met Michael Steiner, the German ambassador to India, to invite him for the Vibrant Gujarat event, scheduled to start on January 11.

The meeting follows a meeting between senior Gujarat government officials and officials of the German embassy. In October, Modi had met James Bevan, British high commissioner to India. That ended the UK government’s 10-year boycott of Modi following the riots in the state in 2002. The UK is now keen to cooperate with the state in the fields of education, science and innovation, energy, trade and investment.

Last year, the Danish ambassador to India had also held a couple of meetings with Modi. As these coincided with Denmark holding the presidency of the European Union (EU), the move resulted in a divide within EU nations, which had stopped diplomatic contact with Modi after the Gujarat riots.

With his influence within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) growing, and his third consecutive win in the state assembly elections, Modi is now focusing on his international image, which his visits to China and Japan as a state guest.

The US, too, has shown interest in diplomatic contact with Modi. Earlier, the US had denied a visa to Modi.

Last month, a group of 25 American lawmakers had urged US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to continue denying a visa to Modi, saying his government hadn’t adequately pursued justice for the 2002 riot victims.

“As Modi continues to pursue a potential run for higher office, we believe a change in policy to his request for a visa will only embolden Modi and his government’s efforts to obstruct further investigations and the tandem prosecution that are still to be finished to bring the perpetrators to justice,” 25 members of the US House of Representatives had written in a letter to Clinton. “India is a thriving democracy, one that is aspiring to a high standard of leadership and progress. It is disturbing that certain parties in India are considering elevating Modi, despite his tie to these attacks. Allowing him to enter the United States will only serve to abdicate his responsibility for the 2002 human rights abuses,” the Congressmen said.

While campaigning for the assembly elections in Gujarat, Modi had also addressed the non-resident community in 12 cities across the US, through video conference.