Days after US Congressional Research Service named Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as a potential prime ministerial candidate in 2014, its coordinator has said that it seems that content of CRS report has been used "selectively" and "countervailing" content was downplayed.
Noting that "there are ongoing concerns" about Modi's "alleged role in the riots (in 2002)", K Alan Kronstadt, who coordinated the report used by BJP to project Modi as India's best chief minister, said, "The CRS does not make such assessments and its reports should really not be taken as 'proof' of anything."
In an interview to Outlook magazine, he said, "It's not uncommon for the content of CRS reports to receive notice in the countries discussed therein.
"Such content is sometimes used selectively and countervailing content is downplayed or dismissed such that the resulting reporting can be inaccurate or misleading. This seems to be the case with some coverage of the September 1 India report."
He also maintained that the CRS reports are not primary documents and do not in any way reflect US congressional or governmental policy beyond what is carefully and explicitly cited and attributed to primary sources.
Asked whether Modi, who was denied a US visa in 2005 for his alleged role in 2002 riots, has become more palatable in Washington since then, he said the CRS has no comment on whether Modi has become "either more or less palatable".
"However, as noted in the report, in 2008, 27 members of the US Congress joined the US Commission on International Religious Freedom in urging the state department to reaffirm its past decision to block Modi's entry into the US. So there are ongoing concerns about his alleged role in the riots," he said.
