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EU has ears for ‘prominent’ Narendra Modi

European Union says it will like to know BJP leader's views and his plans once in power.

New Delhi: Describing Gujarat chief minister and prime ministerial hopeful Narendra Modi as a “person of great prominence” on India’s political landscape, the European Union (EU)­ has­ ­said it would like to know his views and see what plans he has if he comes to power.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, EU ambassador to India Joao Cravinho, when asked if the EU had not diluted its position on not engaging with Mr Modi, said the EU had never adopted any official position on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

At the same time the ambassador noted: “There’s never been any statement, any position. There was around the world, in Europe, in India enormous concern over the tragedy of 2002 as there has been for other situations in India and other parts of the world.”

Asked if the EU’s engagement with Mr Modi is not a dilution of its earlier stand which saw an informal boycott of the BJP leader post-2002, the ambassador said: “There is a judicial and political process on-going in India and has been on-going since 2002. Our position is one of full respect for both the judicial and the political processes...”

He added, “We have no issue whatsoever with the competence, capacity of the Indian judicial system and the Indian judicial system is doing its thing. It’s producing results, opinions, court judgments.”

( Source : dc )
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