Asserting that Narendra Modi is India’s most popular leader now, BJP president Rajnath Singh has said that he would take up in Washington the issue of denial of US visa to the Gujarat Chief Minister.
Arriving in New York on a highly-anticipated American sojourn, Singh said he would certainly raise the issue with US lawmakers even as he would urge the US Government to reverse its denial in the wake of the 2002 Gujarat riots.
“I will appeal to the US Government to clear the American visa to the Gujarat CM,” Singh told reporters in New York as he criticised Washington’s decision to prevent popular leader from visiting the country. Although Indian-American groups have invited Modi to visit the US on several occasions, Washington’s visa denial has prompted him to reach out to his audiences in the US through video-conferencing.
The BJP chief, who was set to kick off his official engagements on Sunday with an address to an Indian-American gathering in New Jersey, struck an upbeat note on the chances of his party’s return to power at the Centre, voicing his supreme confidence that the people will reject the Congress-led UPA in the ensuing lok Sabha polls.
“We are confident that the failure of the Congress Government will help BJP return to power at the Centre,” Singh told reporters, adding: “Any political party that aspires to come to power should give good governance and satisfy the needs of the people. If they fail in this front, they will be out of power.”
He spoke of the ruling UPA’s “wholesale failure on the economic front” and its “compromise on internal and external security and diplomatic fronts as well”.
At his news conference, the BJP chief left no one in any doubt about the party’s thinking on its likely Prime Ministerial nominee by lavishing praise on Modi, asserting that he is now India’s most popular leader.
“He is a crowd puller not only in Gujarat but also in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar - from North to South, East to West. He is one single leader with a national appeal. His popularity will help the party in the elections,” Singh said, stressing: “I have named him as campaign head because of his image, popularity and commitment to the party.”
The BJP chief, who is on a five-day US visit, exuded confidence that closer to the lok Sabha polls, his party would gain more political allies, something it could look forward to even after the polls if the situation so warranted.