Rome [Italy] : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his first day of arrival in Rome. The PM is arriving in Rome on Friday to participate in the G20 Summit. Sources stated that the PM will visit Piazza Gandhi located in what people term as ‘New Rome’. The PM is expected to be accompanied by the Indian Ambassador to Italy Neena Malhotra. Sources said that the newly elected Mayor of Rome Roberto Gualtieri is also likely to be present at Piazza Gandhi. The PM has ensured in the past as well to pay tribute to the Father of the Nation on foreign land that shares previous ties with India and at times at places of relevance for the country. Various news reports show that in the past, PM Modi has unveiled Gandhi statue at various foreign locations. In 2014, PM had unveiled a 2.5 metres tall bronze Gandhi statue on Roma street Parkland in Brisbane, Australia. He had then said that Gandhi is not just a person but an era. In the same year, PM had unveiled a Gandhi statue in Washington DC on the square outside Indian Embassy. In July 2015, PM Modi had unveiled a bust of Mahatma at Bagtyarlyk Sports Complex, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. The same year, PM went to Germany and unveiled the bust of Gandhi in the city hall of Hannover. It was in Singapore that PM Modi unveiled a plaque of Gandhi. In 2019, PM unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at Yonsei University, Seoul. PM Modi will be arriving in Italy for G20 Summit on October 29. The PM is likely to meet briefly a few representatives of the Indian diaspora, sources added. G20 is a global forum whose members account for more than 80 per cent of global GDP, 75 per cent of global trade and 60 per cent population. The theme of this G20 meet under the Italian Presidency is centred around ‘People, Planet and Prosperity’. The summit is being attended by heads of state/ government of G20 member countries, the European Union and other invited countries and international organisations. PM Modi is expected to hold a few bilateral meetings including one with Italian PM Mario Draghi. (
