Overseas Friends BJP (USA), which represents informally represents the Bharatiya Janata Party’s interests here, has described the denial of a visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as “a total violation of the sovereignty of India and an insult to the entire nation.”

“It is reported that the U.S. has denied a diplomatic visa to Mr. Modi and revoked his existing tourist visa under a law that prohibits “any government official who was responsible for or directly carried out at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom” from traveling to that country. Such reasons are totally baseless and unacceptable, and amount to double standard and bias against India in general and Hindus in particular,” OFBJP president Subrahmanyam Vemuri said in an official statement.

“The U.S. has taken this decision in haste without checking the facts from unbiased and accurate sources. No court has found Mr. Modi for any crime against minorities or curtailing the religious freedom,” he said.

“Many official U.S. agencies have found many Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Bangladesh guilty for violations of religious freedom of non-Muslims living in those countries, besides gross violations of human rights,” he said.