Japanese former PM Shinzo Abe dies after being shot, PM Modi mourns

– Madhvi Jha

Japan’s ex-prime minister Shinzo Abe, 67, died after being shot on Friday. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in the chest in western Japan on Friday at around 11:30 am. He was rushed to the Nara Medical University Hospital in Kashihara City, where he suffered cardiopulmonary arrest.

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

According to the Kyoto news agency, the sources of the Liberal Democratic Party also confirmed the news.

Moreover, Prime minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the death of his dear friend Shinzo Abe. Taking to Twitter he tweeted, “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.”

However, during the live address to the country on Friday, Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida said, “This is not a forgivable act.”

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar were distressed and shocked over the attack on Ex- Japanese PM Abe.

According to a local media report, the accused attacked Abe from behind while making a stump speech on the street in Nara. The Japanese police have arrested and identified the accused as Tetsuya Yasmagami, a 41-year-old resident of Nara city.

Notably, Shinzo Abe was a Japanese politician and became prime minister of Japan twice, from 2006-2007 and again from 2012-2020.