Uttar Pradesh: Inclement weather interrupts Japanese delegation's Varanasi visit

The aircraft carrying the Japanese delegation could not land in Uttar Pradesh due to inclement weather. The reception committee including BJP leaders waited late into the evening until they learnt about the aircraft being diverted.

Varanasi:The eleven-member-Japanese delegation's visit to Varanasi from New Delhi was called off after the aircraft carrying the delegation was unable to land here due to inclement weather, on Monday. The reception committee comprising BJP leaders waited till 4.30 pm before they dispersed.

The delegation was led by Hagiuda Koichi, member of the Japanese House of Representatives and chairperson of the Policy Research Council of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The visit was aimed at boosting the Indo-Japanese relationship and renewing the cultural ties with the ancient city.

BJP mediacell in-charge Navratna Rathi said, "we were waiting for the Japanese delegation to arrive at the Varanasi airport. All preparations had been done to receive the delegation as per protocol. Instructions were issued to the local police for making escort arrangements according to the brief from the External Affairs ministry."

Several BJP leaders, including Manoj Kumar Shah and Saurabh Srivastava, waited till 4.30pm at the Varanasi airport to receive the Japanese delegation. However, the aircraft did not land in the scheduled time. It was sent back to Delhi which was its origin point of travel.

The Japanese delegation was expected to visit Kashi Dham corridor as well as Rudraksh Convention Center. Preparations were done for the delegation to get a glimpses of Ganga Aarti and to interact with traders and artisans from here. Sarnath visit was also part of the delegation's itinerary. Sources said the efforts to reschedule the trip to Tuesday did not materialise.