Anti-CAB Protests: Japan PM Likely to Cancel Guwahati Meet

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is consideringcancelling his trip to India that is scheduled to begin on December 15, Japan'sJiji Press has reported. Shinzo Abe was to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi inGuwahati for the annual India-Japan summit on Sunday.

However, following the violent protests in Guwahati that havebrought the entire city and other parts of Assam to a standstill, Japanese PMShinzo Abe is said to be reconsidering his visit.

The Union government on Thursday said that it doesn't have anyclarity on the fate of the Modi-Abe meet that was scheduled to take place intwo days.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said onThursday, "We don't have any update to share."

Last week, Raveesh Kumar announced that the summit between PrimeMinister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe would take placebetween December 15 and 17. The event was expected to take place in Guwahati.

Asked whether the government is contemplating shifting the venue,Kumar said, "I am not in a position to clarify on it. I have no updates tooffer."

Assam has been witnessing massive protests in the last two days with thousands of people hitting the streets of Guwahati defying prohibitory orders to demand to scrap of the Citizenship Bill that has now become a law with the President's assent.

According to a report of news agency PTI, a Japanese team visitedGuwahati on Wednesday to take stock of the preparations.

On Thursday, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abdul Momen cancelled his three-day visit to India, a day after he termed as "untrue" Home Minister Amit Shah's comments on the persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh.

External Affairs Ministry said Momen has conveyed to India about the postponement of his visit from December 12-14 due to scheduling issues and asserted that Shah referred to religious persecution in Bangladesh during the military rule and not under the current government.