BJP keen on keeping Modi's US visa issue alive: Vaghela

Shankarsinh Vaghela denies media reports of 65 MPs writing to President Barrack Obama against granting visa to Modi

As the controversy over US visa for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi refuses to die, state Congress here on Wednesday claimed that the BJP was interested in keeping the issue alive.

Commenting on the media reports about 65 Indian Members of Parliament (MPs) writing to President Barrack Obama against granting visa to Modi, senior Gujarat Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Shankarsinh Vaghela, said the appearance of the reports smelled of conspiracy.

"This is not work of MPs. Somebody has used the MPs to keep the issue alive. Why would MPs write to US President on a trivial issue of visa to chief minister of Indian state," Vaghela asked while interacting with mediapersons here today.

Claiming that the reports seemed to be deliberately planted the former textile minister said, "The BJP wants to keep the issue (Modi's US visa) alive. This seems to be a conspiracy to remain in news. Otherwise, what difference does it make if he (Modi) gest US visa or not? Or to that matter how can the US President give visa to Modi, as it is the visa officer who decides."

Vaghela further argued that why would any MP belittle himself by writing to US President on visa issue. "Modi has already been to US and if he doesn't go now it would hardly matter," he added.

Meanhwhile, BJP claimed that the issue of 65 MPs writing to US President asking him not to lift the visa ban on Modi appeared to be the handiwork of the "dirty tricks department" of the Congress and demanded a probe into the matter.

"The denial by some MPs of having written to Obama shows that this is a clear conspiracy of the dirty tricks department of the Congress. Some MPs have said their signatures were forged. There should be a thorough probe into the matter and the guilty should be booked," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said today.  Earlier in the day, CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury had said that his signature on the letter seems to be a "cut and paste" job. Some of the other MPs whose names were said to be among the 65 MPs who have reportedly written to Obama have denied doing so.



According to reports 40 Lok Sabha and 25 Rajya Sabha MPs were reported to have written to Obama on the visa issue.

Cong seeks longer assembly session, write to speaker, Guv

Gujarat Congress on Wednesday wrote letter to state assembly speaker Vaju Vala and Governor Dr Kamla Beniwal seeking longer mid-year assembly session to discuss important issues.

Leader of the Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela said the mid-year sessions are only of 2-3 days which was not sufficient to discuss important issue of the state.

"We have urged the governor to use her discretionary power under the constitution to order longer session of the assembly," Vaghela informed. Session of the state assembly is likely in September later this year.