Even as the stage is set in Ahmedabad to welcome Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on a two-day visit, a group of Dalits have threatened to stage a protest on Wednesday against the visiting diginitary, in connection with alleged casteist behaviour against a dalit youth by a Japanese car manufacturing company.
The company is located in Mandal taluka of Ahmedabad.
Abe will head the Japanese delegation for annual Indo-Japan meet.
The Japanese Prime Minister will arrive at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in the afternoon. He would then visit the Sabarmati Ashram and Sidi Saiyed ni Jaali at Lal Darwaja.
Both the prime ministers will reach the Sabarmati Ashram from the airport through a eight-kilometer long road show. Security in the city has been beefed up and roads from where the diginitaries are to pass through have been sanitised.
On the second day, Abe and Modi will do the foundation laying ceremony of the high-speed bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Afterwards, Abe will visit Dandi Kutir. The second day will also witness MoU signing ceremonies, plenary, delegation level talks and a joint press conference at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhingar.
Kirit Rathod of Navsarjan Trust, working with dalits, claimed that around 200 dalits would wave black flags before the Japanese Prime Minister. He said that the location has been kept a secret.
Rathod said they were protesting against what he termed as casteist behaviour with one Hitesh Sitapara, 25, by the HR employee of a Japanese company. Rathod alleged that despite trying to lodge a complaint against the person for three days, the police did not do so and finally they had to protest for the whole day before the police finally gave a copy of the FIR.
The annual summit is expected to see the participation of more than 100 Japanese envoys and corporations. About 15 MoUs will be signed.
The visiting prime minister, his wife and the host will have dinner at House of Mangaldas, a heritage hotel that is situated opposite Siddi Saiyyed mosque. The mosque hit the headlines recently, when it became one of the prime spots considered when UNSECO gave Ahmedabad a World Heritage City tag. Ahmedabad became the first Indian city to have received this recognition.
