http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/26/stories/2005032606300100.htm
Manmohan did not call up Modi: PMO By Our Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, MARCH 25. The Prime Minister's Office today publicly questioned the version put out by the Gujarat Chief Minister's office on Thursday night on the sequence of events leading to the cancellation of Narendra Modi's trip to the United Kingdom. According to the Prime Minister's media adviser, Sanjaya Baru, contrary to the claims made by the Chief Minister's office, Dr. Singh did not call up Mr. Modi. He also denied that the Centre had any information on any kind of terrorist threat to Mr. Modi. This too was at variance with the claim made by Mr. Modi's office. It was the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, according to Mr. Baru, who had telephoned Mr. Modi to inform the Chief Minister that since he was going on a private visit, the U.K. Government was not in a position to provide him any kind of security. Mr. Patil told Mr. Modi the apprehension was that there could be a law and order problem and that it would be advisable for him to reconsider his decision to visit London. The decision to cancel the trip was Mr. Modi's. Thereafter, the Chief Minister rang up the Prime Minister to inform him that he had decided to cancel his trip, Mr. Baru maintained. That the Prime Minister's Office joined issue with Mr. Modi's office reflects the unease in the Congress over the Modi issue. Ambika Soni, chairperson of the All-India Congress Committee's media department, objected to Mr. Modi using the Prime Minister's name wrongly and said the BJP was politicising the issue. She said the Home Ministry was duty-bound to advise a citizen on the potential security hazards in undertaking a journey to a foreign country just as the Government had issued an "advisory" to all citizens to stay away from Iraq during the American invasion. Ms. Soni described the Prime Minister's statement of March 19 as correct (whereby he criticised the United States for denying visa to an elected Chief Minister of an Indian State) but she insisted that in no way was that statement an endorsement of Mr. Modi's actions. It were Mr. Modi's words, actions and behaviour that had made the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, confess that he was "ashamed" [about Gujarat]. She added that during his visit to the United Kingdom, the then Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, publicly apologised for the "Gujarat" riots. Accusing the BJP of politicising Mr. Modi's visa issue, Ms. Soni asserted that the BJP leaders should ponder the fact that the Chief Minister had caused so much international embarrassment to the country. The Congress had no reason to revise its views on Mr. Modi and it would continue to find fault with him. -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
