PM Modi grieves Shinzo Abe's assassination; announces national mourning on July 9

As former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe succumbed to his injuries after he was shot at in Nara while delivering a speech ahead of Sunday’s upper house election, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed shock over the tragic development, stating Abe contributed immensely to elevating Indo-Japan relations to the levels of a special strategic and global partnership. PM Modi also announced a national holiday in India on July 9 as a gesture of respect to Shinzo Abe. The national flag will be flown at half mast throughout the country on July 9, Saturday. The tricolour will be flown at half mast on all buildings where it is flown regularly as the Centre announced one day of national mourning as a mark of respect to the former Japan Prime Minister. 

The ex-Japan PM had a special relationship with India as he was conferred with Padma Vibhushan in the year 2021 and the Netaji Award in 2022. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi wrote:

Declaring national mourning after the tragic news, PM Modi added, "As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one-day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022."

Earlier in the day, shortly after the news of the attack on Abe, PM Modi had expressed immense grief and recounted the occasion when Abe visited Varanasi and gifted the City Convention Centre 'Rudrakash' which was built with Japan's support. 

Shinzo Abe No More 

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday succumbed to his injuries after he was shot at in Nara while delivering a speech ahead of Sunday’s upper house election. Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister passed away at the age of 67. Preliminary reports have stated that the former Japanese premier was seen bleeding and had collapsed on the site, suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest. While he was airlifted to the Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara city via air ambulance, he succumbed.  Police arrested the suspected gunman at the scene of an attack that shocked many in Japan, which is one of the world’s safest nations and has some of the strictest gun control laws anywhere.

Later, Japanese public broadcaster- NHK aired a dramatic video of Abe giving a speech outside a train station in the western city of Nara. He was seen standing and dressed in a navy blue suit when two gunshots are heard. The video then shows Abe collapsed on the street, with security guards running toward him. He holds his chest, his shirt smeared with blood.

(With Agency Inputs)