Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died on Friday. Two bullets were fired at him from behind when he was giving a speech in Nara town on Friday morning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has condoled the death of Shinzo Abe. He wrote in the tweet, “I am shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe. He was a great global statesman, administrator. He dedicated his life to making Japan and the world a better place.”
Prime Minister Modi has said that we have deep respect for Shinzo Abe, so tomorrow there will be a day of national mourning in India. In another tweet, he said, “Very saddened by the attack on my dear friend Shinzo Abe. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family and the people of Japan.”
My association with Shinzo Abe goes back many years
PM Modi said in his tweet that my association with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe goes back many years. I knew him during my tenure as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Our friendship continued even after I became PM. PM Modi said that his sharp insights on the economy and global affairs always left a deep impression on me.
In another tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a picture from his most recent meeting with Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. The Prime Minister went on to say that he was always striving to strengthen India-Japan relations. He had just taken over as the President of the Japan-India Association.
PM Modi said that Shinzo Abe made a huge contribution in taking India-Japan relations to the level of a special strategic and global partnership. The whole of India stands with Japan in this hour of grief and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment.
PM remembered the recent meeting
Recalling his meeting with Shinzo Abe during his recent visit to Japan, PM Modi wrote that ‘During my recent visit to Japan, I had the opportunity to meet him again and discuss many issues. They met in a witty and sensible manner as usual. I didn’t know that this would be our last meeting. My heartfelt condolences to his family and the Japanese people.
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief
Apart from PM Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have also expressed grief over the death of former Japan PM Shinzo Abe. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted condoling that ‘India has lost a close friend who worked towards strengthening bilateral ties between India and Japan’.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said – “My condolences to his family and the people of Japan”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, “Shocked to hear about the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has played an important role in deepening India-Japan ties.” He wrote in another tweet, ‘Deeply saddened by the passing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His role in strengthening the strategic ties between India and Japan was commendable. He has left a lasting legacy in the Indo-Pacific. My condolences to his family and the people of Japan.’