Shinzo Abe assassination: India to observe one-day national mourning on July 9, announces PM Narendra Modi

New Delhi: Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan`s longest-serving leader, died on Friday (July 8, 2022) after being shot while campaigning for a parliamentary election. Abe was rushed to a hospital after he was shot at the event in the southern Japanese city of Nara. Expressing his condolence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that India will observe national mourning on Saturday following former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's death. 

“As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022,” PM Modi said in a tweet. 

As a mark of our deepest respect for former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, a one day national mourning shall be observed on 9 July 2022. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

PM Modi also shared a picture of him with Shinzo Abe in Tokyo on his official Twitter handle. "Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my dear friend, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Always passionate about strengthening India-Japan ties, he had just taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association," prime minister said in a tweet. 

Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my dear friend, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Always passionate about strengthening India-Japan ties, he had just taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association. pic.twitter.com/Mw2nR1bIGz

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022

Indian politicians express shock and distress: 

Earlier, PM Narendra Modi has expressed deep distress over the attack on former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. "Deeply distressed by the attack on my dear friend Abe Shinzo. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan," Modi tweeted.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the attack on Abe "shocking and unfortunate". "The news of attack on former PM of Japan, Shinzo Abe, is extremely shocking and unfortunate. My thoughts are with his family and supporters,", Kejriwal tweeted.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also expressed shock over the attack on former Japanese Prime Minister. "Deeply shocked by the news about former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. Join so many of his friends and admirers in India in praying for him and his family," Jaishankar tweeted.

About the incident:

"Officials say former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo has been confirmed dead. He was reportedly shot during a speech on Friday in the city of Nara, near Kyoto," Japanese media outlet NHK tweeted on its official Twitter handle. 

Earlier today Abe, 67, was rushed to hospital after he collapsed at 11.30 am (local time) during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city of Nara ahead of Sunday's elections for Japan's upper house of Parliament. 

Notably, Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, had stepped down in 2020 citing health reasons. He was prime minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida.