US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell plans to meet Narendra Modi, signalling a shift in America’s stand towards the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate in connection with 2002 Gujarat riots.
“We can confirm the appointment (between Modi and Powell),” a State Department spokesperson told media. The request to meet Modi has been made by Powell herself, but the spokesperson did not comment on the possible date of the meeting, which is expected to take place in Ahmedabad this month.
“This is part of our concerted outreach to senior political and business leaders which began in November to highlight the US-India relationship,” the spokesperson said. The go ahead, just before the announcement of general elections in a few weeks from now, seems to have been taken after intensive debate within the various wings of the Obama Administration – the White House and the State Department in particular -with crucial inputs from the members of the Congress, and the influential leaders of the corporate sector, the US India Business Council in particular.
