MEA makes Modi shed extra baggage

So the ministers have been assigned visits to other countries to seek investments in Gujarat, one of the main reasons for the CM’s trip which will also see him bringing back ashes of freedom-fighter Shyamji Krishna Varma from Geneva.

‘‘The MEA struck down the proposal to include some ministers and officials. It gave permission only to the chief minister and a few others,’’ an official said.

Modi, who has already reached London, is accompanied by A K Sharma, secretary to the chief minister, and G C Murmu, chairman and chief executive officer of the Gujarat Maritime Board. Also with him are industrialists Gautam Adani and Jay Mehta.

Modi has invited top office-bearers of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) to join him in London separately.

FICCI director-general Amit Mitra and joint director Arun Chawla reached London ahead of Modi to be with him. So did Dr Nitin Shukla of Shell (Gujarat) and Shanta Raju of British Gas (Gujarat).

Although Modi did not invite office-bearers of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) — he has had many spats with the organisation — to accompany him, he has agreed to participate in two meetings it’s organising in Switzerland.

The ministers deputed by Modi to other countries are Ashok Bhatt who is leaving for the Persian Gulf; Anil Patel who goes to US and Canada; and, Narottam Patel who will be in Australia, China, and Singapore. These ministers will be accompanied by some senior bureaucrats.

On his arrival in London on Sunday afternoon, Modi was received by Minister for Co-ordination in the Indian High Commission K Haldar, Swami Atmaswaroopji of the Swaminarayan sect, Haribhai Halal of the Kutchi Leuva Patel Samaj of London, and Nath Puri and Anil Pota of Friends of Gujarat.

He later attended a reception by the Kutchi Leuva Patel Samaj at the St James’s Court Hotel in central London, and a dinner meeting hosted by Nath Puri on behalf of NRIs of the UK.

During his three-day stay in London, Modi will be attending various meetings to attract investments to Gujarat and inviting industries and businesses to participate in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit being organised by the state government during the Navratri festival.

He will be attending a meeting arranged by CII at Zurich on August 21 and another in Geneva on August 22.