Chennai: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was invited as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day parade, has cancelled his visit, due to the serious coronavirus situation in his country.
Officials said, Johnson called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi and regretted that he would have to cancel his visit to India because of the pandemic situation.
The development came hours after he announced a fresh lockdown that could last until mid-February, in an attempt to tide over the new strain of coronavirus that has affected thousands in the UK.
A statement from his Downing Street office said, “The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi this morning, to express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned. In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus. The leaders underlined their shared commitment to the bilateral relationship, and to continuing to build on the close collaboration between our countries- including in response to the pandemic.”