Mumbai:
Upset with a questionnaire sent to the political and bureaucratic bigwigs of Maharashtra by the US Consulate demanding identity details including date of birth and even blood type, key ministers and officials of the state have decided to drop out of the event arranged for US President Barack Obama at the Taj Hotel.
While Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has told NDTV that he will be present at the airport to receive the American president, Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil will skip the Taj event. He is in his constituency in Sangli. Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal will, however, attend the event.
On Friday, the US Consulate in Mumbai apologised for having asked invitees to submit personal details like PAN numbers after it drew angry reaction from senior Maharashtra ministers and officials and blamed "clerical error" for the queries.
"I have visited Chief Minister Ashok Chavan and Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal personally to apologise. It was a clerical error," US Consul General Paul Folmsbee said.
"I don't think this is the way to treat top government ministers, bureaucrats. If they are inviting us don't they know who we are? Consulate staff met me to give an explanation and apologised," Bhujbal had said on Friday.
Reports on Friday also said that Maharashtra Home Secretary Chandra Iyengar and many top policemen - including Director General of Police, D Sivanandan and Mumbai's Police Commissioner, Sanjeev Dayal - may not be attending the event, though they say they will be too busy with security.
Leaders are also reportedly upset that the 26/11 event is being held at the Taj Hotel, instead of a more public and inclusive venue.
Officials say they don't even know the list of invitees from the families of 26/11 victims and the government has not been consulted on whom to invite.