British PM Boris Johnson has cancelled his planned India visit later this month to be chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations due to the grim Covid-19 situation in Britain and the ‘speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading’ that led to a fresh national lockdown, the British government said Tuesday, adding Mr Johnson had already spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘to express his regret’. Mr Johnson hopes to visit India by June this year.
India is now expected to invite another foreign leader as chief guest for the January 26 parade.