WATCH: PM Modi unveils bust of Mahatma Gandhi during G7 Summit in Japan's Hiroshima

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is in Japan to attend the G7 Summit at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima on Saturday.

PM Modi paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi during the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Hiroshima on Friday to attend the G7 Summit at the invitation of Japan’s PM Fumio Kishida.

Talking to the media after unveiling the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi said that even today the world gets frightened when the word ‘Hiroshima’ is mentioned.

“I got the opportunity to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi during my visit to Japan for the G7 Summit. The bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima will take forward the idea of non-violence,” PM Modi said.

“It is a great moment for me to know that the Bodhi tree that I gifted to the Japanese PM has been planted here in Hiroshima so that people can understand the importance of peace when they come here. I pay my respect to Mahatma Gandhi,” he added.

The G7 Summit, to be held in Hiroshima from May 19–21, is why the G7 leaders are now in Japan. Of note, Japan took over as G7 President in 2023.

The G7 Summit is an annual gathering of world leaders, including those of the European Union (EU), France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Italy (in that order, according to alternating presidency).

PM Modi unveils bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Japan’s Hiroshima, says it will take forward idea of non-violence

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As PM Modi arrived in Hiroshima on Friday, members of the Indian diaspora in Japan gathered at the hotel where he is staying.

They chanted slogans such as "Bharat Mata ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram" while shouting praises for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Japan, Italy, Canada, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany make up the G7 group. Leaders from Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea, and Vietnam were invited by Japan as part of their G7 Presidency.

India has been invited to attend the G7 conference as a guest nation. Nuclear disarmament, economic resilience and security, regional concerns, climate and energy, food and health, and development are the main focuses of the G7 summit's outreach to the invited guest nations.

PM Modi’s message for Pakistan

Earlier, in a strong message to Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that India wants “normal and neighbourly relations” but put the onus on the administration in Islamabad to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and to take necessary steps.

In an interview with Nikkei Asia, PM Modi said India wants normal bilateral ties with Pakistan, adding that “it is incumbent upon them to create a conducive environment free from terrorism and hostilities”.

“The onus is on Pakistan to take necessary steps in this regard,” he said.

(With agency inputs)

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