But chat over thali, first

Combining deft diplomacy with populist politics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pulled out all stops to extend a grand, glitzy welcome to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie in his home state of Gujarat, where elections are due three months from now.

In a politically loaded message to the minority community, Modi made it a point to take his guest to the Sidi Saiyed mosque, which represents the cultural ethos of the world’s first heritage city -Ahmedabad. This may be perhaps for the first time that Modi, longtime chief minister of Gujarat before he became the prime minis-ter, has entered the precincts of

The two leaders also had a thali dinner across the street at the famous Agashyee rooftop restaurant, which again offers a view of the mosque.

Abe is on a 2-day visit to lay the foundation stone of the Rs 1.08 lakh crore Japan funded bullet train and talk business at the 12th IndianJapan annual summit.

This will be the fourth summit between the two prime ministers for reviewing the progress of the various agreements under the framework of their ''special strategic and global partnership.”

The summit, this time, comes in the backdrop of the mounting tension following nuclear tests by North Korea and rising Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Multiple projects are up for signing on the second day of the visit which is seen in diplomatic circles as an effort to further cement ties between the two countries. More so, as bilateral trade has fallen from $18.4 billion in 2011-12 to $13.5 billion in 2016-17.

The guests were warmly welcomed with a hug. Abe was accorded a guard of honour at the airport and welcomed thereafter by girls dressed in kimonos.