Murmu's Kolkata visit cancelled due to national mourning for Shinzo Abe

Kolkata: NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu's scheduled visit to Kolkata on Saturday to meet BJP lawmakers from West Bengal has been cancelled in the wake of the one-day national mourning, as a mark of respect to former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe.

Her visit is likely to be rescheduled at a later date.

Murmu has been visiting various states to seek support from lawmakers for the July 18 presidential polls.

"As a mark of respect to Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe, one-day national mourning shall be observed on July 9. Therefore, all programmes of NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu stand cancelled for July 9, 2022," the state BJP said in a statement.

Abe, 67, the longest-serving prime minister of Japan, was assassinated on Friday in the west Japanese town of Nara while he was campaigning for his party.

A senior BJP leader said Murmu will be in New Delhi on Saturday.

"Murmu's visit to Kolkata will be rescheduled later," he said.

She was scheduled to meet BJP MPs and MLAs at a hotel in New Town area of Kolkata on Saturday afternoon.