Narendra Modi free to apply for visa: US

Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is free to apply for an American visa and a decision on it would be made on the process that is in place, according to a senior US official.

"We said he (Modi) is free to apply for a visa, and we'll make a decision based on the process that we have in place here," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf told media persons

at her daily news conference.

In 2005, the State Department had revoked a visa that Modi had for travelling to the US in the wake of the 2002 riots in Gujarat.

The US has repeatedly said there is no change in its long-standing visa policy relating to Modi but he is free to apply for a visa and await a review like any other applicant.

When asked about comments made by Congress party vice president Rahul Gandhi in a recent interview on 1984 riots, Harf said, "I haven't seen those comments."