Will evaluate Modi visa application on merits: US

Washington, October 12: Without directly naming Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, a senior State Department official has said that US will evaluate any visa application based on merits and according to US laws.

"As you probably know, we don't get into questions of visa matters on any particular individual. That said, we of course will evaluate any visa application based on its merits and in accordance with US law, so I don't have anything further on that specifically," Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Mike hammer told reporters at a news conference yesterday.

Hammer was responding to a question on Narendra Modi in the aftermath of Britain taking decision to end its decade long policy of no-contact with him, which it took after the communal riots in the Gujarat a decade ago.

"Is there a shift in the US policy towards Modi, or not yet?" Hammer was asked in view of the latest decision taken by the British Government.

The British decision to resume its contact with Modi was noted in several major American media outlets.

"Being a business-friendly government official in one of the world's fastest- growing economies can erase a lot of political baggage," The Washington Post said referring to the British decision, adding, that this may just be the beginning of an end to his international pariah status.

"I have asked the British High Commissioners in New Delhi to visit Gujarat and to meet the chief minister and other senior figures in the state," Hugo Swire, the new British minister in charge of India, said in a statement yesterday.

"This will allow us to discuss a wide range of issues of mutual interest and to explore opportunities for closer cooperation," the statement added.

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5 facts about 24-year-old Indian student shot dead inside his Audi in Canada

News Network

April 14,2024

New Delhi: A 24-year-old student from India was shot dead inside a car in Canada's South Vancouver, the local police have said. The Vancouver Police in a statement said Chirag Antil, 24, was found dead inside a vehicle in the area after neighbours reported hearing gunshots.

"Officers were called to East 55th Avenue and Main Street around 11 pm on April 12 after residents heard the sound of gunshots. Chirag Antil, 24, was found deceased inside a vehicle in the area. No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing," the police said.

Chirag Antil's brother Ronit told reporters that Chirag seemed happy when they spoke on the phone in morning. Chirag later took out his Audi to go somewhere. That was when he was shot dead.

The Congress students' wing National Students' Union of India chief Varun Choudhary in a post on X tagging the Ministry of External Affairs requested for assistance to the student's family.

"Urgent attention regarding the murder of Chirag Antil, an Indian student in Vancouver, Canada. We urge the Ministry of External Affairs to closely monitor the progress of the investigation and ensure that justice is swiftly served," Mr Choudhary said.

"Additionally, we request the ministry to extend all necessary support and assistance to the family of the deceased during this difficult time," he said.

Chirag Antil's family is raising money through the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to repatriate his body to India, local media reported.

Haryana resident Romit Antil, the brother of Chirag Antil, told CityNews that he was a kind-hearted person.

"My brother and I had a great relationship. We used to talk every day, day and night. I spoke to him last before the accident happened. He was kind of happy, he never had any issues or fights with anyone, ever. He was an extremely polite person," Romit Antil told CityNews.

Chirag Antil came to Vancouver in September 2022. He just finished MBA at University Canada West, and recently got his work permit.

Here are 5 facts about Chirag Antil

1.   Chirag Antil was a resident of Sonipat, Haryana.
2.   He was the youngest son of Mahavir Antil, a retired employee of the Sugar Mill Department of the Haryana Government.
3.   Chirag moved to Vancouver in 2022 to pursue higher studies at the University Canada West (UCW), in British Columbia.
4.   After completing his MBA, he started working at a company in Canada after getting a work permit.
5.   Chirag's brother Ronit shared in an interview that his younger sibling was a "kind-hearted" person. "I spoke to him last before the accident happened," he said and added that Chirag sounded "happy".

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