New Delhi, May 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not travel to the UK next month to attend a summit of the G7 grouping in view of the prevailing coronavirus situation, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
The summit of the Group of Seven (G7) nations is scheduled to take place in Cornwall from June 11-13.
"While appreciating the invitation to the Prime Minister by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to attend the G7 Summit as a special invitee, given the prevailing COVID situation, it has been decided that the Prime Minister will not attend the G7 Summit in person," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
The G7 comprises the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.
As the chair of G7, the UK has invited India, Australia, South Korea, South Africa to the summit.
This is the second cancellation of Modi's visit abroad in recent weeks.
On April 20, the MEA announced cancellation of a planned visit by Modi to Portugal to attend the India-European Union summit on May 8. The summit was held in a virtual format.
British Prime Minister Johnson too had called off his scheduled visit to India last month in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
Subsequently, Modi and Johnson held a virtual summit on May 4.
The Prime Minister had paid a two-day visit to Bangladesh in March to attend events marking 50 years of that country's war of liberation.
Earlier this month, the External Affairs Minister travelled to London to participate in the G7 foreign ministers' meeting.
However, he could not attend the meeting in person after some members of his delegation tested positive for COVID-19. The external affairs minister attended the meeting in virtual format.
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Pune (PTI): The Porsche car crash case exposed "systemic corruption," but the Pune Police have successfully uncovered the nexus behind the replacement of the accused juvenile's blood samples with those of his mother, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said on Wednesday.
The case made national headlines after the high-end car allegedly driven by the 17-year-old boy in an inebriated state mowed down motorcycle-borne IT professionals Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa in the Kalyani Nagar area on May 19 last year.
"Last year’s Porsche car crash case sparked widespread discussions about Pune’s deteriorating social culture, alleged police corruption, and several other issues. Amid all the criticism, one positive aspect stood out: the case exposed systemic corruption.
"It also demonstrated how the police, working within the same system, managed to uncover the entire nexus behind the replacement of the juvenile’s blood samples with those of his mother," Kumar said while addressing Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, an initiative aimed at raising awareness against drug addiction, organised at Modern College.
He added that the juvenile has been released since he was a minor.
"However, his mother has remained in jail for over a year, and his father continues to be behind bars. Doctors from Sassoon Hospital and others involved are also still in jail," Kumar said, adding that one mistake by a child, and an attempt by his parents to cover it up, destroyed an entire family.
He said the police will follow up on this case until every guilty person is punished.
Kumar also appealed to students to stay away from intoxicating substances and drugs.
"You are not only endangering your own life but also putting your entire family at risk," he said, urging the youth not to fall prey to harmful addictions.
"Instead, stand strong and act as a force to ensure that drug abuse is curbed in your surroundings. We assure you of full police support," he added.
He further stated that if youth from all colleges unite and decide to end this menace, "the day is not far when not even one gram of drug will be sold in the city".
The investigation into the car crash had revealed that the juvenile's blood samples were replaced with those of his mother.
The roles of Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensic department, Medical Officer Shreehari Halnor, and a hospital staffer came under scrutiny.
While the mother is currently out on bail, the juvenile’s father, Sassoon Hospital doctors Taware and Halnor, staffer Atul Ghatkamble, two middlemen, Ashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad, and others remain in jail for the alleged blood sample swap.