» News » Maya refuses to meet touring US ambassador

Maya refuses to meet touring US ambassador

By Sharat Pradhan
Last updated on: March 16, 2010 20:45 IST
Get Rediff News in your Inbox:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has refused to give United States Ambassador Timothy J Roemer an appointment.

The US ambassador, who was here on a two-day official visit, met state Governor B L Joshi, besides visiting a USAID project and attending a dinner thrown in his honour by local dignitaries.

He also went on a sight seeing tour of Lucknow and would return to New Delhi after a visit to a local educational institution and round-table with the media on Wednesday.

According to a senior official in the chief minister's personal secretariat, the chief minister was not in a position to meet the US ambassador on account of her preoccupations.

He said, "By the time, we received a request from the US embassy, it was too late for the chief minister to alter her programmes."

According to him, the chief minister had a very busy schedule as had given a series of appointments to number of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders, who had come from different parts of the country to attend the party's slver jubilee celebrations on Monday.

Sources, however, maintained that Mayawati chose to avoid meeting the US ambassador, citing political reasons.

She does not want to be seen having to do anything with the US envoy as she wishes to impress the Muslim constituencies by sending a message that she was opposed to America's policies.

Get Rediff News in your Inbox:
Sharat Pradhan in Lucknow