New Delhi, Aug 18: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, who was to visit New Jersey on August 23 to inaugurate a statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, has cancelled his trip to the US in view of developments relating to coming assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today. However, there is no change in his programme to pay a two-day official visit to Britain from August 21. "Advani will not be going to the US as he does not want to stay away from the country for a longer period," the sources said. He would hold wide-ranging talks on ways to combat international terrorism with British deputy prime minister John Prescott, home secretary David Blunkett and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw during his stay.

The sources said that the issue of on-going cooperation between India and Britain in the fight against terrorism would be high on the agenda of Advani, who was earlier scheduled to visit the UK in June this year.

Bureau Report