Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi (file pic)
When Britain's top diplomat in India had met Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi last year, ending a decade-long boycott over the state's communal riots in 2002, he had said it was "an engagement...not endorsement."
Ten months later today, Sir James Bevan said about his meeting with Mr Modi, "Engagement is not an endorsement. My job is to meet important leaders all over India."
The British High Commissioner also said, "We do have concerns over human rights violations. Three British nationals were killed in the Gujarat riots and we want trial and justice for them."
Earlier this month, Barry Gardiner, a UK member of Parliament sent a letter to Mr Modi inviting him to the House of Commons to speak on 'The Future of Modern India'.
The Gujarat Chief Minister, who is expected to be named his party, the BJP's presumptive Prime Minister for the general elections next year, thanked the British MPs for inviting him to the UK "in the spirit of dialogue and engagement."
"Dialogue strengthens democracies. There is no alternative to dialogue, which enables us to understand each other to work for greater good," Mr Modi tweeted.
Mr Bevan today said there was a "distinction between the British government inviting Modi and parliamentarians doing it. In Britain, just like in India, Parliamentarians are free to invite anyone they want."
The riots in Gujarat, which killed more than a 1000 people, mostly Muslims, under his watch, damaged Mr Modi's credibility at home and abroad. The US still does not grant him a visa.
After the riots, British officials were banned from dealing directly with Mr Modi. Sir James'
meeting with Mr Modi in October last year was seen as a signal that the 10-year-long boycott was over. The envoy had stressed then that the re-engagement was motivated partly by the UK's belief that progress was being made in court cases about the riots.
He was also careful to emphasise, "This is engagement with Gujarat and Gujarat as a whole and not an engagement with any individual...this engagement is not about endorsement."
Soon thereafter, Mr Modi had met envoys of other European countries.