Ahmedabad, Feb 24: US President Donald Trump arrived in Ahmedabad on Monday for the first leg of his India trip.
The Air Force One plane carrying Trump and his wife Melania landed at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel international airport here at 11.37 am, officials said.
It was scheduled to land at 11.40 am.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reached Ahmedabad over an hour before Trump did, was present at the airport to welcome the US president at the airport.
In Ahmedabad, Trump will visit Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram, take part in a roadshow with Modi and jointly address over one lakh people at a cricket stadium, before heading for Agra to see the iconic Taj Mahal with Melania.
Trump, who is also accompanied by daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and top brass of his administration, will get a taste of India's cultural melange during his high- optics Gujarat itinerary, after the bonhomie between the two leaders at the 'Howdy, Modi!' event in Houston last year.
The US president and Modi will participate in a roadshow from the airport to Sabarmti Ashram and from there to the newly-built Motera cricket stadium, where over a lakh people are expected to be present for the 'Namaste Trump' event.
Dance groups and singers from different parts of the country will be performing on stages that are dotting the 22- km route of the 'India roadshow' in the city.
Huge billboards of the two leaders and replicas of historic places in Gujarat have also been placed along the roads where people will greet the two leaders.
Over 10,000 police personnel, besides officials of the United States Secret Service, and personnel of the National Security Guards (NSG) and the Special Protection Group (SPG) have been deployed for the high profile visit.
The seventh US president to visit India, Trump on Sunday retweeted a video in which his face was superimposed on the hit Indian movie-character Bahubali, showing him as a great saviour.
Modi will accompany Trump to the Sabarmati Ashram, which was home to Mahatma Gandhi from 1917-1930 during India's freedom struggle.
Several world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have visited Sabarmati Ashram in recent years.
Ashram secretary Amrut Modi said Trump will spend 15 minutes at the place.
"Trump will visit the 'Hriday Kunj'. If he wishes, he will spin a charkha (spinning wheel). We will also gift him a coffee-table book, and a book containing 150 quotations of Gandhi," the Ashram official said.
Hriday Kunj is a room on the Ashram premises where Mahatma Gandhi and his wife Kasturba Gandhi had lived for 12 years between 1918 and 1930.
The official said the US President would be briefed about Gandhiji and the importance of charkha as a symbol of self-reliance.
There will be a cultural extravaganza at the Motera stadium during the 'Namaste Trump' event, where Trump and Modi will address the gathering.
Bollywood singer Kailash Kher and some Gujarati folk singers will perform at the stadium, officials of the Gujarat Cricket Association said.
Students of various government and private schools have also been roped in to perform at cultural events and they have been practicing for days, an official said.
Billboards with slogans hailing Indo-US relations and having pictures of Trump and Modi walking together, shaking hands, and waving at the crowd during the 'Howdy Modi' event are dotting the city.
Comments
when a human being brutally killed, people are talking based on religion...... shame on you guys...... see his face.... it is the height of the cruelty... may his soul rest in peace
ARUN KUMAR
DUBAI
Idiot YOGESH, don't just say what ever you get into your mind, I work for RSS & MRM, You should know the fact that Ismail nelyamajalu used to visit tirupathi lord balaji for darshan with his family once or twice a year, he also used to conduct jathara(festival) at a temple in sullia, DK, every year. He was a very kind human being more than a muslim & a politician.
A very good husband, father, brother and a friend, I personally know him since 2013.
Please know the facts before you bark.
Naren, you did not explain what is 72.....you are just making bow, bow,..... you are free to take action against any one making hate comments .....
Dear mr SK ,mr true Indian ...police commissioner alla even DIG bekadru complaint kodi ...mr viren ,bopanna and yogesh and including me have the right to comment ..its not a social media like Facebook and twitter to lodge complain ...this is strictly controlled by admin ......cyber cell will also check anti Hindu comments too ..do u think we will keep quiet ...? We also know laws ...how we can sit when our patriotic organisation like sangh is mocked ...so better mind ur business ...better u talk to CD ...being a responsible media they are responsible for posting news which don't instigate ...but they are not doing ....
Naren, singapore ..what is this figure of 72 ... can you explain further ????
True Indian, Mangalore...it is better to report such matters with mangalore police commissioner,Mr chandrashekar....
Frustrated Brothers Naren And Viren.Papa pandu.Day is not far to pay for all your Comments.In sha allah.We give damn to all your Comments.Carry On.
Papa athmakke shaanthi sigali ..mele 72 virgins sigali .........yelli faizhal Bhai kaanistha illa .....banree \ innu illari rajiwoon antha helree \""
Coastal Digest please do not entertain Brother Viren's Such Comment which disturbs the readers or else we will have to complain against him with the Cyber cell.Please take this message seriously.
Death is not a disaster simply a passing from this world onto the next. It should make us reflect and ponder about the purpose of the life and what will become of us after death. Innah ilahi wa inna ilaihi rajihoon Deep condolence insha Allah grant him forgiveness and higher in heavens. Ameen
I have conducted a survey of Friday murders in coastal Karnataka. Especially immediately after or before Muslims special prayers. 99% of such murders are committed by Muslims only.
So Yogesh is making a confession that BJP is behind this murder ?
Shocking incident, he was really a prominent leader of congress. anyways rest in peace.
May his soul rest in peace
whoever made this brutal crime must be punish them in the like same. seriously a inhuman act.
How people can b so cruel? Y can't we lead our four days of life happily. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajioon.
Innalillahi va inna ilayhi rajivoon
Innalillah
Inna lillahi wa inna elaihi rajiwoon.
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