Japan PM’s visit deferred to ‘mutually convenient date’: MEA on Modi-Abe summit

New Delhi, Dec 13: India announced on Friday that the annual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, which was scheduled to be held in Guwahati, has been postponed.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said,''With reference to the proposed visit of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to India, both sides have decided to defer the visit to a mutually convenient date in the near future.''

Abe was scheduled to arrive in Guwahati on Sunday on a three-day India visit to hold summit talks with Modi.

"With reference to the proposed visit of Japanese PM @AbeShinzo to India, both sides have decided to defer the visit to a mutually convenient date in the near future," Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar tweeted. Guwahati is witnessing massive protest over the new Citizenship law.

Assam has been witnessing massive protests in the last two days over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, with thousands of people hitting the streets defying prohibitory orders to demand scrapping of the bill. At least two persons died due to bullet injuries on Thursday after police opened fire on protesters in Guwahati.

On Wednesday, protesters pulled down hoardings erected in central Guwahati to welcome Abe. According to Japan's Jiji Press, Abe is considering cancelling his trip to India as the security situation has deteriorated in Guwahati.