The annual summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, which was scheduled from December 15-17 in Guwahati, has been cancelled due to protests in the Assam capital over the amended citizenship law.
External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said both the nations have decided to 'defer' Abe's visit for the summit to a mutually-convenient date.
'With reference to the proposed visit of Japanese PM Abe to India, both sides have decided to defer the visit to a mutually convenient date in the near future,' he said in response to a query on the summit.
Earlier, it was reported that the venue was likely to shift to a different location. Bhubaneswar or even New Delhi had been suggested if the situation in Guwahati remained volatile.
Work on beautifying the city for the momentous VVIP visit was proceeding on a war-footing till the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill protests put a stop to preparations. The riverfront development work came to a standstill late on Wednesday and the area bore a deserted look on Thursday, except for a few police personnel. Only the India and Japan flags placed on railings at Lachit Ghat remained mute witness to the stalled preparations.
Assam is reeling under violent protests over the amended Citizenship Act, which will grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, who are facing religious persecution there.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Monday while the Rajya Sabha cleared it on Wednesday. It became law after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to it on Thursday.
Diplomatic sources said the Japanese government has clearly conveyed to New Delhi that it would not be possible for Abe to travel to Guwahati in view of large scale protests in the northeastern city.
They said the summit is now expected to take place next year.
Last week, the ministry of external affairs announced the dates for Abe's visit but did not mention the venue. However, preparations were in full swing in Guwahati for the high-profile summit.
Officials in the city on Thursday expressed reservations on the holding of the summit because of the volatile situation. “With just two days left for visit, the summit seems unlikely to be held in city,” an official remarked.
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.
Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya and parts of Arunachal Pradesh have been witnessing large-scale protests from the past two days as thousands of people have taken to the streets, defying curfew and demanding scrapping of the contentious law.
Sources said a Japanese team visited Guwahati on Wednesday to take stock of the preparations following which Tokyo clearly conveyed to the MEA that Abe's visit cannot go ahead under current circumstances.
Last year, Japan hosted the summit in picturesque Yamanashi prefecture during which both sides had resolved to significantly expand bilateral cooperation in a range of areas.
Reflecting growing congruence in bilateral ties, the two countries held their inaugural foreign and defence ministerial dialogue two weeks back, which prepared the ground for the Modi-Abe summit.
The Indo-Japan defence and foreign ministerial dialogue took place following a decision taken by Modi and Abe during last year's annual summit.
