Modi suggestion fall on def ears

The one taunt that Narendra Modi, as Gujarat CM, always had for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) was that it acted like an elite brigade that cared little about the states. He had even said in one of his speeches that he had asked the MEA to consider creating a trade office for states in key missions abroad. He, however, claimed that the suggestion fell on deaf ears. Now with Modi at the helm, the MEA has formed a new cell to liaise with states. For now, it will be headed by a joint secretary, likely to be Gopal Baglay, former number two at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Meanwhile, an ever-expanding PMO is learnt to have taken over the Chief of Protocol's office space in South Block despite stiff resistance by the MEA.