With fingers being raised over their visit to Gujarat and meeting Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the US Congressmen on Saturday categorically rejected allegations questioning the legitimacy of their trip.
“All I would say is that our trip here was signed off by the appropriate authorities in our Government. And specifically by the House of Representatives. I would simply say that three members of Congress don’t just leave the country,” said Aaron Schock.
“...So I am not going to get into all the nuances. Certainly some people do not like the fact that we are here...Perhaps some people do not agree with what we are saying here...But certainly as American members of Congress we have a free right to come over here,” Aaron Schock, one of the US Congressmen, said.
“I have checked appropriate boxes necessary to make this trip legitimate and well within all the rules and accordances of the US Congress,” he said.
Aaron Schock along with Cynthia lummis and Cathy M Rodgers met Modi on Thursday, praised his work and invited him to visit the US, saying they will work to get him a visa, denied by the country for his alleged role in the post-Godhra riots of 2002.
Media reports later claimed the team members may have been paid between $3,000 (Rs 160,000) and $16,000 (Rs 8.68 lakh) each for the trip.
EOM
