NEW DELHI: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express his regret over not being able to visit India as planned for the Republic Day due to the surge of Covid-19 cases in his country.
Johnson’s call with Modi came a day after he addressed the nation in a televised address to plunge the country into a new stay-at-home lockdown as his medical chiefs warned that the National Health Service (NHS) was under threat of being overwhelmed by the rising infection rates.
Johnson announced a new England-wide lockdown on Monday following the emergence of the virulent new strain, explaining urgent action was needed to prevent spiralling numbers of cases overwhelming health services.
“The Prime Minister spoke to Prime Minister 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 PM said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus,” a statement from 10 Downing Street stated.
It is still unclear if New Delhi will invite another chief guest for the Republic Day. In the past, on three occasions — 1952, 1953 and 1966 — the Republic Day Parade had proceeded without a foreign dignitary as the chief guest. Johnson would have been the sixth British leader to be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day celebrations.