Why Is Abe Being Hosted In Gujarat And Not Delhi, Asks Congress

The Congress has raised questions on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's presence in Ahmedabad, asking if the government is using foreign dignitaries for political purposes in view of the upcoming Gujarat Assembly elections.

"We do not want to transgress propriety by commenting on a state visit but it is rather quixotic that the Prime Minister of a country as important as Japan, who is almost India's strategic partner in many respects, is strangely not even being hosted in Delhi," Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari has said.

“With an election in Gujarat around the corner, it does raise a question – and I hope this is not the case – that a state visit is actually being used for political purposes because the manner in which it is structured is rather awkward," he added.

Talking about the burgeoning ties between India and Japan, Tewari said the foundation of the relationship was laid by the United Progressive Alliance government.

Abe arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday (13 September) and will lay the foundation stone for India's first bullet train project today.

With Inputs From PTI.