India, US united in fighting radical Islamic terrorism: Donald Trump
AHMEDABAD : US President Donald Trump on Monday said the United States stood with India in the fight against “radical Islamic terrorism” and that Washington was working with Pakistan to crack down on terrorist groups operating near its borders.
Speaking at an event at the Motera cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, Trump said, “Both countries [India and US] are united in defending citizens from the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.” Trump went on to say that under him, the United States had managed to “destroy” the Islamic State.
Trump also said that his administration was working with Pakistan to crack down on terrorism. “We are working with Pakistan to crack down on terror and working on the terror issue on the borders. We have great relations with Pakistan and with these relations we hope we will be able to reduce tensions between the countries,” Trump said.
Trump’s comments were made at an event in Ahmedabad that was hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who received Trump and the US First Lady Melania Trump at the Ahmedabad airport.
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump spent nearly an hour on Monday at the Taj Mahal in Agra, their second stop after arriving in India for a two-day visit. The Trumps enjoyed the magnificent marble monument in the glow of the fading sun, the complex completely cleared of any other visitor or staff.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited the Taj Mahal on Monday and were given a guided tour of the 17th-century world-famous monument.
agra-us-president-donald-trump-melania-visit-taj-mahalThe dignitaries, who reached Agra from Ahmedabad, observed the grandeur of the monument built by Mughal ruler Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Upon his arrival at the Agra airport, the Trumps were received by Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Trumps walked hand-in-hand into the 16th century mausoleum, known worldwide as the monument of love, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. “The Taj Mahal inspires awe. A timeless testament to the rich and diverse beauty of Indian culture. Thank you India,” President Trump wrote in the visitors’ book soon after stepping into the complex for a private visit.
President Trump and the First Lady were unhurried as they walked on the manicured lawns, alongside spruced up fountains, on their guided tour of the Taj Mahal. For the job of escorting the Trumps, many guides were screened; three were short-listed and only one made it. The only other “company” for the couple was a flock of birds that vanished as suddenly as they appeared.
Half-way to the monument, President Trump – who once owned a casino in Atlantic City named Taj Mahal — and Melania Trump stopped at the famed love seat where most foreign dignitaries pose, and smiled for the cameras, holding hands.
For the visit, hundreds of workers had scrubbed and polished the stones, applied fresh paint on walls and multani mitti (mud-pack) on the marble. Water was released into the river Yamuna flowing just behind the monument, to reduce the stench of years of garbage and pollutants. Residents and shops in the vicinity were verified.
The US President’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner also toured the monument at a distance, along with the rest of the American delegation. Ivanka Trump was seen handing her mobile phone to a photographer for a click.
President Trump and PM Modi addressed a massive gathering at the newly-built Motera cricket stadium, the world’s biggest. Tomorrow, President Trump and PM Modi will hold talks in Delhi and a trade deal will be high on the agenda.
US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump landed in Ahmedabad in Gujarat on Monday for his 36-hour-long India visit. PM Narendra Modi, who had already arrived in Ahmedabad, welcomed Trump, who is on his first visit to India after becoming the US president in 2016. The Air Force One plane carrying Trump and wife Melania lands at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport at 11.37 am.
From the airport, the duo embarked on a 22-km-long roadshow. During the roadshow, both the leaders visited Sabarmati Ashram, where Mahatma Gandhi spent 13 years during India’s freedom struggle.
Around 50 stages were erected on the route, starting from the airport till Motera stadium via Indira bridge. Authorities said over one lakh people are expected to line up along the route of the roadshow, which has been named as ‘India Road Show’ by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation.
Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted in Hindi on his way to India, saying “Ham Bharat Aane Ke Liye Tatpar Hain. Ham Raste Me Hain, Kuchh Hi Ghanton Me Ham Sabse Milenge. (We are eager to visit India. We are on our way and would be soon meeting all)”. Soon came PM Modi’s reply: ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’.
Trump’s maiden visit to India is expected to significantly ramp up bilateral defence and strategic ties but unlikely to produce tangible outcome in resolving thorny issues like trade tariffs. The nearly 36-hour-long visit by Trump is also set to send across a clear message of growing congruence of interests on major geopolitical developments in the region and beyond, particularly when China has been expanding its military might and economic clout.
In the afternoon, Trump is expected to attend certain private events at the US Embassy, including a roundtable with industry representatives. In the evening, the US president will meet President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. A banquet will be hosted by Kovind. President Trump will depart from India later that evening.
(Bureau Report with Agency Inputs ).
