PM Modi unveils bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Japans Hiroshima, says it will take forward idea of non-violence

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Japan at the invitation of Fumio Kishida to attend the G7 Summit, unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima on Saturday.

After the bust was unveiled, PM Modi paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi.

Prime Minister Modi arrived in Hiroshima on Friday to attend the G7 Summit at the invitation of Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida.

Speaking to reporters in Hiroshima, after unveiling the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi said that even today the world gets frightened when they listen to the word ‘Hiroshima’.

He said, “I got the opportunity to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi during my visit to Japan for the G7 Summit. The bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima will take forward the idea of non-violence.”

“It is a great moment for me to know that the Bodhi tree that I gifted to the Japanese PM has been planted here in Hiroshima so that people can understand the importance of peace when they come here. I pay my respect to Mahatma Gandhi,” PM Modi added.

The G7 leaders are currently in Japan to attend the G7 Summit scheduled to be held in Hiroshima from May 19-21. Notably, Japan assumed the G7 Presidency in 2023.

The Summit is an international forum held annually for the leaders of the G7 member states of France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada (in order of rotating presidency), and the European Union (EU).

Members of the Indian diaspora in Japan gathered at a hotel in Hiroshima as PM Modi arrived in the city on Friday. They cheered “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”. They also raised slogans hailing PM Modi.

Notably, the G7 grouping comprises Japan, Italy, Canada, France, the US, the UK and Germany. Japan under its G7 Presidency has invited leaders from Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam.

India has been invited as a guest country for the G7 summit. The broad terms of the G7 summit preferences regarding their outreach with the invited guest countries are nuclear disarmament, economic resilience and economic security, regional issues, climate and energy and food and health and development. (ANI)