Gandhinagar::
Britain's top diplomat in India met today with the chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, ending a 10-year boycott over the state's communal riots in 2002, in which more than 1000 people were killed, including three Britons of Gujarati origin.
James Bevan, the UK's High Commissioner travelled to Gujarat for a 50-minute meeting in Gandhinagar with the chief minister. Mr Modi tweeted, "Had a great meeting with UK High Commissioner, Sir James Bevan to strengthen Guj-UK ties in economic & social sectors."
After the riots, British officials were banned from dealing directly with Mr Modi but the government this month changed its policy.
The UK appears to be warming upto the chief minister amid growing debate over whether his party, the BJP, will pick him as its prime ministerial candidate for the next general election, scheduled for 2014. Gujarat will pick its next government in elections in December - Mr Modi is looking for a third successive term as chief minister, though his prime ministerial ambitions are well-known.
The riots in his state and his alleged inaction to curb the violence damaged Mr Modi's credibility at home and abroad. The US does not grant him a visa.
Earlier this month, when Britain announced it would end its boycott of Mr Modi, junior foreign minister Hugo Swire said the government wanted "to support human rights and good governance in the state." He also stressed the well-established ties with Gujarat due to large numbers of Indian-origin families who migrated to Britain from the state.
Britain's resumption of links with Mr Modi came two months after a Gujarat court sentenced a former minister in his government, Maya Kodnani, to 28 years in jail for her role in instigating the 2002 unrest. She was held guilty of instigating riots in the Naroda Patiya locality of Ahmedabad, in which more than 90 people died. A spokesperson in the foreign office told NDTV that the decision to engage with Mr Modi was "in view of the progress made with (riots) cases pending in the courts."
Mr Modi had welcomed on Twitter the United Kingdom's decision to engage with Gujarat for business and investment opportunity. "Der Aaye Durusta Aaye," Mr Modi had tweeted, meaning better late than never, ending it with "God is great".
(With inputs from agencies)