British envoy to meet Narendra Modi today; marks resumption of diplomatic relations

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will meet the British High Commissioner to India, James Bevan in Ahmedabad on Monday. The meeting marks the resumption of diplomatic relations between Britian and Gujarat, which were strained after the 2002 Gujarat riots. Two weeks back, the UK had claimed that it was looking at normalising relations with Gujarat.

Modi on Sunday met RSS top brass including its chief Mohan Bhagwat but brushed aside suggestions that the issue of projecting him as prime ministerial candidate for 2014 general elections was discussed. "RSS does not get involved in such things," Modi told reporters after the meeting at RSS headquarters in Nagpur. He was replying to a query on the possibility of his being projected as the prime ministerial candidate.

"I was here after a long time to meet RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, general secretaries Bhayyaji Joshi and Suresh Soni and held cordial discussions with them on various issues," the chief minister, who is facing Assembly elections in Gujarat in December, said. Modi came to the city on a special aircraft and left immediately after the meeting.

British envoy to meet Narendra Modi today

Two weeks back, the UK had claimed that it was looking at normalising relations with Gujarat.

The Gujarat chief minister's visit comes in the backdrop of BJP MP Ram Jethmalani suggesting that Modi should be projected as the party's Prime Ministerial candidate for the Lok Sabha polls. However, the BJP played down the meeting, saying it was a "courtesy" call and no "political meaning" should be read into it. "Narendra Modi or other senior leaders of the party...they keep meeting RSS leaders as courtesy.... This meeting should be looked on those lines only and seeing it more than that or reading any political meaning into it will not be right," BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said in Delhi.

With additional information from PTI

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