American President Donald Trump will be welcomed by Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister and Governor on his visit to Agra on February 24.
It is not clear whether the CM and the Governor will accompany Trump and his entourage to visit the Taj Mahal. A desire to visit the monument privately is believed to have been expressed by the American President. However, that would mean that Adityanath and Anandiben Patel would have to wait for two hours at the airport- between the welcoming and the seeing off of the dignitary. The visit is expected to take place between 4.45 pm and 6.45 pm.
A three-tier security ring shall surround the visitors. The first two rings shall comprise of US Security forces and security from the US Embassy in India. The third ring shall be manned by the Agra Police and the Central Industrial Security Force. As part of the security measures, police verification of shop keepers and photographers around the monument have also been carried out.
There will be two brief stops of 10 minutes at Hotel Amarvilas— the property that had hosted then Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf when he had concurred with then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. These stops will be for a change of vehicles. Only battery-operated golf carts are allowed in the vicinity of the Taj Mahal and it is in these that Trump and his entourage will go to the monument.
As regards a guide for the visitors, a final decision is yet to be taken. About 15 of the certified guides have been interviewed and a selection from them will be made.
Billboards which read: ‘Welcome on behalf of the 230 million people of Uttar Pradesh-Yogi Adityanath’ have also been put up at road intersections which shall fall on the route of Trump’s entourage. Wall paintings on the route are also being given finishing touches. Some of these read Athithi Devo Bhava (A guest is like God) and Radhe, Radhe — a prevalent mode of greeting in the area.
