US Ambassador to India seeks meeting with Narendra Modi

Ahmedabad, 11 February 2014

US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell is expected to meet BJP prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi this month. The request to meet Modi has been made by Powell herself.

PTI has in its report quoted a State Department spokesprson saying, “we can confirm the appointment (between Modi and Powell).This is part of our concerted outreach to senior political and business leaders which began in November to highlight the US-India relationship.”

The Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP)-US president Chandrakant Patel welcomed the decision taken by the Obama Administration in this regard.

“We highly appreciate the decision taken by US President Barack Obama, and Secretary of State John Kerry. This would further help in strengthening of Indo-US relationship,” Patel said.

“Modi is the most popular leader of the country right now. Given that he has been given clean chit by all the courts in India, it was not fair on the part of the US to not to have relationship with Modi,” Patel said.

Hindustan Times reports:

Top BJP leader told that ministry of external affairs has already sent aide-memoire to Gujarat chief minister’s office as well as Modi’s close confidante Arun Jaitley which gives the broad overview of India-US relations at this stage and possible talking points.

“It was a fortnight ago that US embassy sounded us out on Powell’s request for meeting. We have agreed for the meeting to take place later in Gandhinagar as Modi is addressing more than 20 election rallies this month. The topic will be bilateral ties and not Modi’s visa,” said the leader.

South Block sources said that mandatory clearance to Powell for the Modi meeting was given on February 7.

Updates:Powell is expected to meet Modi in Gandhinagar on 13 February.