In a stinging snub to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the United States today denied him a diplomatic visa and revoked his tourist/business visa under a law that bars such a privilege to anyone who carries out severe violations of religious freedom.

Modi has been denied diplomatic visa and his tourist/business visa, already granted, has also been revoked under a section of US Immigration and Nationality Act, a spokesman of the US Embassy said here. The Act prohibits anybody who was 'responsible for or directly carried out at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom.' The Chief Minister was to pay a five-day visit to US from March 20 and some Indian-American groups had threatened to organise protests against him and two American Congressmen had planned to introduce a resolution condemning the policies and actions of the state administration in the light of post-Godhra riots that rocked the state in 2002.

'We can confirm that Chief Minister of Gujarat state Narendra Modi applied for but was denied the diplomatic visa under section 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act because he was not coming for the purpose that qualified for diplomatic visa,' the spokesman said.

'His tourist/business visa was revoked under section 212 (a) (2) (g) of the Act which makes any government official who was responsible for or directly carried out at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom, ineligible for visa,' he added.