PM Modi will have two bilateral meetings with his British counterpart Theresa May.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to address "Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath", an interaction with participants from across the globe, in London on Wednesday. The prime minister will reach London on Tuesday for his four-day visit to the UK, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). A meeting with the Queen at Buckingham Palace before the broadcast is among the highlights of the PM's UK visit.
The diaspora event is being billed as the centrepiece of the "Living Bridge" theme of the India-UK bilateral visit. PM Modi will take questions which will be telecast live from the iconic Central Hall Westminster near the UK Parliament. The "niche event" is expected to be attended by over 2,000 people. PM Modi will respond to questions accepted through the NaMo app. The anchor at the event will take questions from the audience as well.
After the event, PM Modi will join heads of 52 nations at the official dinner hosted by Theresa May. The Queen is reported to have personally written a letter to PM Modi as part of the invite, officials said.
During the day, PM Modi will meet his British counterpart Theresa May at 10 Downing Street before they begin formal deliberations as part of the multilateral Commonwealth summit on Thursday. The two world leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including cross-border terrorism, visa and immigration.
PM Modi will be the only head of the state to have two bilateral meetings with Theresa May ahead of the CHOGM, senior officials said.
At another special event planned around PM Modi's royal welcome, Prince Charles will drive in to the venue in Tata Motors' first-ever electric Jaguar to symbolise the India-UK technical collaboration.
A visit to the Science Museum in London for the '5000 Years of Science and Innovation' exhibition; Basaveshwara statue on the banks of the river Thames; and the launch of a new Ayurvedic Centre of Excellence, which aims at promoting evidence-based research on yoga and Ayurveda, are also part of the itinerary.
However, PM Modi will also be greeted with some protests at Parliament Square as Lord Nazir Ahmed, who has brought together UK-based Kashmiri and Sikh groups, will take up the Kashmir issue in the UK Parliament. Protests have also been planned around the horrific Kathua rape and murder case and Unnao rape in which a BJP lawmaker is an accused.
With inputs from PTI