In a setback to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, a group of 25 American lawmakers have urged the United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to continue denying visa to the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, stating that his government has not adequately pursued justice of the 2002 riot victims.              

"As Modi continues to pursue a potential run for higher office, we believe a change in policy to his request for a visa will only embolden Modi and his government's efforts to obstruct further investigations and the tandem prosecution that have still to be finished to bring the perpetrators to justice," as many as 25 members of the US House of Representatives wrote in a letter to Clinton.             

Dated November 29, the letter addressed to Clinton was released to the press yesterday, by Republican Congressman JoePitts and Frank Wolf on the eve of their joint press conference at the Capitol Hill with family members of the victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots.