NY Times: U.S. Court Issues Summons to Modi in Lawsuit Over 2002 Riots
NEW DELHI — A day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to arrive for a much-touted five-day visit to the United States, a federal court in New York issued a summons for Mr. Modi to respond to a lawsuit that accuses him of human rights abuses in connection with religious riots in 2002 that tore through Gujarat, the state he then led.
The summons, which requires him to respond within 21 days, is not likely to have any concrete effect on Mr. Modi’s visit, which includes high-profile events with President Obama, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and numerous other political and corporate leaders. Courts issue such summonses when a complaint is filed, and the same lawyer has filed similar lawsuits against Indian leaders in the past. A lawyer acting on behalf of Mr. Modi and the Indian government will likely seek to have the case dismissed, leaving a judge to decide the matter in several months.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in New Delhi on Thursday, opened a campaign to attract more global businesses to India.Defying Expectations in India, Modi Begins Key Trip to U.S.SEPT. 25, 2014
Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, in August. Among political leaders, he ranks behind only Barack Obama in number of fans of his official Facebook page (Mr. Modi has 21.8 million and counting).A Facebook Leader, Too: Narendra Modi, the Social Media PoliticianSEPT. 25, 2014
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