New Delhi, Dec 14 (Agencies): Amid the violent protests in Assam and other parts of the Northeast over the passage of Citizenship Amendment Bill, India has cancelled its annual summit with Japan that was to have been held in Guwahati from December 15 to 17, according to a report by Deccan Chronicle.

The announcement of the cancellation of the summit was announced on Friday December 13.

With this, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India for the summit has also been cancelled, the report said.

“With reference to the proposed visit of Japanese PM Shinzo Abe to India, both sides have decided to defer the visit to a mutually convenient date in the near future," the external affairs ministry announced in a statement.

Though the venue of the summit was not officially announced, all preparations for the event were reportedly made. The dates had been announced by the MEA.

The new dates and venue are expected to be decided by the two sides in the coming weeks, the report stated.

The cancellation comes as a big setback to the Indian government’s efforts to showcase the Northeast as a region that can hold such high-profile meetings.

The protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act have turned violent in Northeast and other parts of India. The law aims at giving Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, while excluding Muslims from these countries.