BJP146;s NRI friends split over NRI fest

Intended to showcase the best and the brightest Indians abroad, the much-hyped Pravasi Bharitya Divas being held here next week from January...

Intended to showcase the best and the brightest Indians abroad, the much-hyped Pravasi Bharitya Divas being held here next week from January 9-11 has already been marred by squabbling within the high-profile US-based Overseas Friends of the BJP OFBJP.

Key members of this organisation, including Prime Minister Vajpayee8217;s friend, the New York-based Mukund Modi, have decided not to attend the first global conference of NRIs and persons of Indian origin. So has Shekhar Tiwari, the Washington representative of the OFBJP.

Both are said to have refused because of their animosity with Bhishma Agnihotri, RSS pracharak-

turned-ambassador at large for NRIs and PIOs, who commands loyalty from yet another group of the BJP in the US.

Agnihotri8217;s elevation to his post last year, which entitles him to jet around the world first class, is primarily responsible for the continuing infighting between the various BJP factions in the US. So much so that the PM himself was forced to put an end to the public squabbling during his visit to New York in September.

In fact, Rs 12 crore is going to be spent on the two-day conference, including an official contribution of Rs 5.5 crore by the government. Official partner FICCI and sponsors like Air-India are raising the rest.

Already, participants are clamouring for exemption from the 200 per head fee. Under pressure, the MEA has decided to exempt all panelists from the registration fee.

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The number of panelists8212;attending eight seminars8212;has touched nearly 100, with more and more hoping they will be asked to speak.

The US contingent was supposed to be the star of the event. But only about 200 are turning up. Padma Bhushan awardee and NRI Swadesh Chatterjee is said to have pulled in only about a dozen people.

One of the reasons New Delhi has introduced the Pravasi Samman awards, the story goes, is to prevent people like Swadesh Chatterjee from cornering national honours.

Still, Bhishma Agnihotri, who really rattled the MEA recently by telling The Sunday Express that his job as ambassador at large was to 8216;8216;oversee8217;8217; the work of Indian ambassadors abroad, seems to have already been cut to size at the 8216;Pravasi Divas.8217;

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Apart from the fact that people like Mukund Modi have decided to stay away, Agnihotri himself is not going to receive any honour. In fact, he will not even find a place on the dais on Day One, when the 8216;divas8217; is inaugurated by the PM.

Apart from Vajpayee and External Affairs minister Yashwant Sinha, the Big Five will include Mauritian prime minister Anerood Jugnauth, LM Singhvi and MEA8217;s representative J C Sharma.