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
Congratulation Harinath!! all the best for your future plans.
So many rejected votes that means so many elected representatives whichever party they belong not educated enough at least how to vote. One who vote them has to be blamed. what work they can do for the betterment of the society. The majority of the winning candidate to knows raise two fingers only while they win.
jai jai BJP, Congrates Sumithra all the best.
Congratulations & All best wishes to our New Mayor harinath. Let Mangalore develop under your leadership.
Congratulations to deputy Mayor too. jai ho congress.
Look at our Photo obsessed congress leaders of Mangalore namely Bava & Vinayraj. Pushing and posing is their birthright.
Give first priority to invent Cancer (communal riots) treating medicine which is taking lot of innocent lives in Coastal area due to some dangerous virus spreading it. If you succeed in this you will be remembered as a best scientist in the History.
Congratulation......Keep going...All the best.
Congratulations to the newly elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Finally we got a mayor.
Congrats to both of you.
Congratulations on being elected as new Mayor for MCC. Do your best to take this city as the best city in the state.
Hope new mayor won't use dhow as done by earlier mayor during flood..as a joyride..!!
Congratulations harinath, you deserve this after serving long years and we look forward your good works and smiling face.
Next What????? making money ya making developments?????
Congratulations Mayor and Deputy Mayor. God bless you both and all the best
Congratulations harinath, I am sure you will work for the development of Mangalore, specially on drainage and drinking water. May God be with you and grant you good health to work for the welfare of the people.
All credit goes to Khader, Lobo, Raikulu.....Congis worried about vote bank as all states are sweept by BJP and they are looking to retain Karnataka with the help of Minorities!
This is your mission to serve the city without looking your pocket, but serve the city with selflessness.to maintain safety in the region......don't look for the party and religion but serve as human.All the best
Please work enthusiastically, united, share each other, bring amicable solution for the problems,include innovative practices, future plans, keep vision Goal and mission.
Unnecessary Politics. Groupism should be banned. It is very unhealthy in the community.
Election is over. Sink your differences. All the members have the mandate to work together as a NEW TEAM to the steady growth of the MCC at the out set of the financial 'crisis. I wish all the best to the new mayor
All the best to the newly elected mayor of MCC. Hearty congratulations to all,
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