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A year after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was denied a US visa, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Purshottam Rupala was not granted visa to attend the World Gujarati Conference scheduled to be held there in September.
Rupala, state BJP spokesman, was among several prominent people of Gujarati origin who were invited for the conference scheduled between September 1 and 3 at New Jersey.
"Yes I was denied a visa on Wednesday from the US consulate general. There was no reason given to me at all," Rupala told PTI.
When asked if this indicated that the US government had something against the Gujarat government and if he would protest, Rupala "How can I say that? All I can say is that I was denied a visa and no reason was given to me. I do not plan to protest."
Rupala said that he did not feel singled out by the US consulate as several others who were invited for the conference were also denied a visa. In a similar situation last year, Narendra Modi was denied a visa for the same function and the organisers had to arrange for a video-conferencing facility through which he addressed the Gujarati community in the US.
Meanwhile, in Washington, DC the US State Department said that final decisions on visa applications are based on merit and have nothing to do with any relationship with a political party or a particular community.
The State Department, whose official policy is not to comment on individual visa cases or applications, was asked to comment on the reported denial of visa to Purshottam Rupala.
In addition, it was maintained that as many as 75 applications from persons wanting to attend the World Gujarati Conference in New Jersey beginning September 1 were rejected. It is estimated that some 30,000 Gujaratis from around the world will be attending the three-day conference.
"We don't comment on individual visa cases. Everyone applies as an individual and decisions are based on their qualifications as an individual and would have no reflection on their relationship with the BJP or Gujaratis in general," a senior State Department official told PTI.