India awaits your arrival, says PM Modi ahead of Trump's visit to India

With a few hours to go for the US President Donald Trump to arrive in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “India awaits your arrival. See you very soon in Ahmedabad”. The response was to Trump’s tweet as he was flying out of the US yesterday saying, “Departing for India with Melania!”

India awaits your arrival @POTUS @realDonaldTrump!

Your visit is definitely going to further strengthen the friendship between our nations.

See you very soon in Ahmedabad. https://t.co/dNPInPg03i

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 24, 2020

Departing for India with Melania! pic.twitter.com/sZhb3E1AoB

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 23, 2020

Donald Trump will begin his maiden official two-day state visit to India on Monday (February 24), becoming the seventh American President to visit the country.

Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and a twelve-member delegation comprising US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette among others.

Taking to Twitter on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India looks forward to welcoming the US President and that it is an honour that “he will be with us tomorrow, starting with the historic programme in Ahmedabad!”

“Look so forward to being with my great friends in INDIA!” Trump had tweeted on Sunday, quoting a morphed video showing him as the protagonist of hit Bollywood film ‘Bahubali’.

The visiting dignitary will reach Ahmedabad around Monday noon and after a visit to Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram will address a mammoth crowd of more than 100,000 people at an event titled ‘Namaste Trump’ at the Motera Stadium in the city.

The event will be based on the lines of ‘Howdy Modi’ function that was addressed by the US President and Prime Minister Modi in Houston in September, last year.

Security has been tightened across Ahmedabad ahead of Trump’s visit.

“A lot of people are expected to line the roads to welcome President Donald Trump. Security has been tightened not only in the stadium but also along the entire route from where the convoy of President Trump and Narendra Modi is scheduled to pass,” said Crime Branch Special Commissioner of Police Ajay Tomar.

From Ahmedabad, the US President and the First Lady will make a brief stop at the Agra where they will visit the Taj Mahal, before arriving at the national capital for the main leg of the 36-hour long trip.

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On the morning of February 25, the US President will first receive a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan as per protocol. From there, he will go to Rajghat to pay homage at the samadhi of Mahatma Gandhi.

This will be followed by both, restricted, and delegation-level talks between Trump and Modi at the Hyderabad House in the national capital.

The other nine members of the delegation companying Trump are: His daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump, son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, White House Senior Advisor Stephen Miller, White House Social Media Director Dan Scavino, First Lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff Lindsay Reynolds, White House advisor Robert Blair and White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.

Among the key elements of the visit would be the trade talks between the United States and India.