PM Modi's visit to Kanpur on April 24 cancelled in wake of Pahalgam attack

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has been cancelled following the terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 28 people on Tuesday.

Modi was scheduled to visit Kanpur on Thursday to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 20,000 crore.

Shubham Dwivedi, a 31-year-old businessman from Kanpur who got married just two months back on February 12, was among those gunned down in Pahalgam.

As a mark of respect, it was considered appropriate to defer any celebratory or formal public engagement in Kanpur during this period of grief, officials said.

Officials said the prime minister will attend a pre-scheduled official programme in Madhubani, Bihar, on the occasion of Panchayati Raj Diwas on April 24, which will also see participation from people across the country via video conference.

Earlier today, the Prime Minister arrived in New Delhi after a shortened Saudi Arabia visit. On his arrival, Modi took a briefing at the Delhi airport with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to discuss the Pahalgam situation.

He will also chair a cabinet meeting on security in Delhi later today.