Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's two-day visit to Sri Lanka beginning September 2 has been deferred due to unavoidable circumstances, a government statement said on Friday night.

Earlier in the day, the defence ministry issued a press release announcing Singh's visit to Sri Lanka on September 2 and 3 and giving various details of the trip.

"Due to unavoidable circumstances, the visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Sri Lanka stands deferred to a later date," the ministry said in the fresh statement.

"Rajnath Singh remains committed to strong bilateral cooperation between India and Sri Lanka. He looks forward to visiting the island nation at the earliest possible time frame," it said.

-With PTI Input