[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 5] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 5926-5927] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]VISA DENIAL TO INDIAN OFFICIAL LEADS TO BURNING OF PEPSI PLANT ______ HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS of new york in the house of representatives Wednesday, April 6, 2005 Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, as you know, the United States government denied a visa to Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, due to the state government's complicity in the massacre of Muslims there and his insensitive statements about minorities. His visa was revoked under the law that prohibits those responsible for violations of religious freedom from getting visas. This was the right thing to do, and I salute those who made this decision. According to the March 25 issue of India-West, the denial of a visa to Mr. Modi was met with attacks from the Indian government. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who, as a Sikh, is a member of a religious minority himself, complained in Parliament that ``we do not believe it is appropriate . . . to make a subjective judgment question a constitutional authority in India.'' The Foreign Ministry said that the denial of Mr. Modi's visa ``is uncalled for and displays lack of courtesy and sensitivity toward a constitutionally elected chief minister of a state of India.'' Of course, they completely neglected to mention Mr. Modi's lack of courtesy and sensitivity towards the 2,000 to 5,000 Muslims killed in the riots that his government helped organize. India's Human Rights Commission held Mt. Modi and his government responsible for the massacre. The Indian government officially stated that the decision showed ``a lack of courtesy and sensitivity'' and that their ``sovereignty'' was violated by the decision. This is the standard argument of tyrants. It is the argument countries like Red China make when they are criticized. On March 19 in New Delhi, India-West reported, fanatical Hindu nationalist fundamentalists affiliated with the militant organization Bajrang Dal rioted against the United States because Mr. Modi was denied his visa. They barged into a Pepsi-Cola warehouse, smashed bottles of Pepsi, and set fire to the building. The warehouse was partially burned. About a dozen workers fled. The rioters also ransacked a nearby Pepsi office. Another group protested the U.S. consulate in Bombay. They carried signs reading ``Down With the United States.'' Some Bajrang Dal members tried to enter the visa application center in Ahmedabad. Modi himself said, ``Let us pledge to work for such a day that an American would have to stand in line for entry into Gujarat.'' He accused the United States of trying to ``impose its laws on other countries.'' He urged India to deny visas to American officials. Mr. Speaker, this is just the latest chapter in India's ongoing repression of its minorities, which has been well documented in this House over the years, and its virulent hatred of America. Why do we spend our time, energy, and money supporting such a country? The time has come to hold India's feet to the fire. Denying Mr. Modi a visa was simply a small first step, and a good one. We must do more. The time has come to stop our aid and trade with India until all people enjoy the full flower of human rights and to support self-determination for all the peoples and nations seeking their freedom through a free and fair plebiscite. The essence of democracy is the right to self- determination. As the world's oldest and strongest democracy, it is up to the United States to take fhese measures in support of freedom for all. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the India-West article of March 25 into the Record at this tIme. [From the India-West, Mar. 25, 2005] Pepsi Warehouse Burned in Visa Denial Uproar--Continued from page A1 The riots were sparked by the burning of a train coach by Muslims in Godhra, killing 59 Hindu kar sevaks. Modi was denied a diplomatic visa to travel to the United States and his existing tourist/business visa was revoked under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act that bars people responsible for violations of religious freedom from getting a visa. Modi had been scheduled to address a gathering of Indian American groups and motel owners in New York, Florida and in New Jersey. India slammed the decision, saying it showed a ``lack of courtesy and sensitivity,'' and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh criticized the American decision in Parliament. ``The American government has been clearly informed . . . we do not believe that it is appropriate to use allegations or anything less than due legal process to make a subjective judgment to question a constitutional authority in India,'' Singh told the Rajya Sabha. Responding to opposition leader Jaswant Singh's submission that the decision was unacceptable, Manmohan Singh said, ``We agree that this is not a matter of partisan politics, but rather a matter of concern over a point of principle. Our prompt and firm response clearly shows our principled stand in this matter.'' Earlier, Indian officials summoned Ambassador Mulford's deputy Robert Blake ``to lodge a strong protest.'' ``This action . . . is uncalled for and displays lack of courtesy and sensitivity toward a constitutionally elected chief minister of a state of India,'' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, expressing the government's ``deep concern and regret.'' The U.S. stood by its decision after a review sought by India. Mulford, who was out of town when the news broke March 18, said the U.S. decision was aimed at Modi alone, and not Gujaratis. He also denied it would affect ties with India. In Washington, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said the U.S. response was based on a finding by India's National Human Rights Commission that held Modi's government responsible for the 2002 Hindu-Muslim violence in the state, India's worst in a decade. The decision led to widespread uproar in parts of Gujarat. A day after the decision, [[Page 5927]] nearly 150 Bajrang Dal activists barged into the warehouse of U.S.-based PepsiCo in the Surat, smashed bottles and set fire to the place, said Dharmesh Joshi, a witness. The warehouse was partially burned. A witness said about a dozen workers at the warehouse fled during the attack and firefighters doused the flames. The protesters also ransacked a nearby PepsiCo office and demonstrated outside the American consulate in Mumbai. Some carried placards reading: ``Down with the United States,'' ``Boycott the U.S. goods and the Americans.'' Up to 150 Bajrang Dal activists also tried to enter the U.S. visa application center in Ahmedabad but were turned back by police. Modi called the U.S. decision ``an insult to India and its Constitution.'' In a public address in Ahmedabad, he lashed out at the United States. ``A man from Gujarat was thrown out of a train in South Africa. This led to a movement that overthrew the British Empire,'' Modi thundered, in a reference to Mahatma Gandhi. ``Let us pledge to work for such a day that an American would have to stand in line for entry into Gujarat,'' he added. ``The United States can't impose its laws on other countries. In the same way, India should deny visas to U.S. officials as a protest against Washington's policies in Iraq,'' Modi said. ``On what basis has the U.S. decided this?'' Modi asked. ``Where has the U.S. got its information from? The American government should know that every state in India is ruled by the Constitution and no one can violate that. No court has indicted the Gujarat government or the CM of complicity in the incidents that took place in the state.'' If the Pakistani president and the Bangladesh prime minister could visit the U.S., two countries in which minorities have suffered, Modi said he could be admitted too. ____________________