MEA: Japan PM Shinzo Abe's India visit deferred by both sides to mutually convenient date

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar has confirmed the cancellation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to India. Taking to micro-blogging platform Twitter, the spokesperson said, 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. — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) December 13, 2019 READ | CAB Protests: 2 Columns Of Army Deployed In Assam, Mobile & Internet Services Suspended Cancellation of visits by foreign leaders The three-day-summit between Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was planned in Guwahati, however, the visit is deferred. As the MEA announced the cancellation, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee called it a "blot on the country's reputation" if the Japanese PM cancels his visit amid the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act which has engulfed the majority of Northeast. On Thursday, Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and the country's Home Minister called off their visits to India in the midst of the agitations in the northeast. READ | Anti-CAB Protests In Assam: Police Opens Fire On Protestors Protesters gathered in huge numbers on the streets of Guwahati despite imposing curfew by the administration. Protesters burnt an effigy of senior Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in the Ambori area here while students of the Cotton University and Handique Girls college were also seen protesting against the bill that was passed in both houses. One of the protesters said, "It is a fight for our existence." READ | PM Modi Assures 'brothers & Sisters' Of Assam: You've Nothing To Worry Over CAB About Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 After being passed in both houses of Parliament, the Citizenship Amendment Bill was signed by President Ram Nath Kovind making it a law. The Citizenship Amendment Act grants Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Through this act, Indian citizenship can be sought by the members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from the three countries to India till December 31, 2014, to put an end to them being treated as illegal immigrants in the country. The Bill had been passed by the Lok Sabha earlier this year but lapsed with the term of the previous Lok Sabha during the first term of the PM Narendra Modi government in the Centre. The bill was again passed in the winter session of Lok Sabha with a roaring majority of 311 votes in favor while 80 against the Bill, and in Rajya Sabha with 125 in favor of the bill out of the 245 member Rajya Sabha. READ | Centre Withdraws Paramilitary Forces From J&K, Move Them To Assam

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MEA: Japan PM Shinzo Abe's India visit deferred by both sides to mutually convenient date

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Raveesh Kumar has confirmed the cancellation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to India

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