Not 70 lakh, only 1 lakh will attend Trump’s roadshow with PM Modi

While India plans an elaborate welcome for US president Donald Trump – a wall to hide its penurious side, an exquisite menu and a roadshow – it is highly unlikely that as many as 70 lakh people will participate in the latter, a claim that Trump has been making of late.

Clarifying the same, Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra has said the number of people expected to line up along the 22-km route of Trump’s roadshow with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 24, would be around one lakh.

The number is much less than what the US president has been claiming.

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In a recent video, Trump said, “7 million (70 lakh)” people will be there on the roadshow route. Notably, the total population of Ahmedabad is estimated to be around 70 to 80 lakh.

In a tweet a few days back, Nehra estimated the same figure. “MaruAmdavad says #NamasteTrump #IndiaRoadShow is getting bigger & bigger. More than 1 lakh participants already confirmed for the 22 km roadshow. Great opportunity for #Ahmedabad to present Indian Culture to the World. Keep following @AmdavadAMC for more details,” he said in a tweet on February 16.

Related news: Modi to discuss trade, defence talk with Trump during his India visit 

As per the roadshow route plan, Trump and Modi will first reach the Sabarmati Ashram, a place closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, from the Ahmedabad international airport. From the Sabarmati Ashram, both the leaders would take the SP Ring Road via Indira Bridge near the airport to reach the newly-built cricket stadium in Motera area of the city. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had earlier posted a video on his Twitter account, saying the “world’s oldest democracy would meet the world’s largest democracy on February 24” when Trump would address a large gathering at the cricket stadium along with Modi.

(With inputs from agencies)