US President Barack Obama leaves for India today, cancels Taj Mahal visit

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jan 24, 2015: US President Barack Obama who will leave Andrews Air Force Base on Saturday evening for his highly anticipated three-day landmark trip to India is likely to cancel his Agra visit, reports said.

 

According to reports, the security chief who was organising President Obama’s Agra visit received a letter stating that the advisors of the visiting dignitary were allegedly unhappy over a 150 metre stretch near the Taj Mahal that he would have had to walk.

No vehicle is allowed upto the main outer gate of the mausoleum.

The US President along with his wife Michelle Obama were scheduled to visit Agra on January 27 to see the Taj Mahal.

Obama will be leaving for Saudi Arabia from New Delhi itself after addressing a select gathering on January 27, reports further said..

However, no official word with regard to this has been passed on to authorities in Lucknow.

The entire stretch from Delhi to Agra was supposed to remain under high alert January 27 and for three hours people would not be able to use their mobile phones in the vicinity of the Taj Ganj area, the Mall road and the Fatehabad road as electronic jammers would be in operation, officials said.

President Obama will arrive in New Delhi on January 25 to take part in this year’s Republic Day celebrations on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will be the first US President to attend a Republic Day celebration.

It is a "genuine honour" for US President to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade and witness India’s national day celebrations first hand, the White House has said.

"The President is very much looking forward to this visit. It is a genuine honour to be invited as the guest for Republic Day" and Obama "is looking forward to see the festivities associated with Republic Day firsthand," his press secretary said on Friday.

India’s national capital will turn into a virtual fortress ahead of US President;s arrival here Sunday, with over 45,000 security personnel guarding roads and 15,000 CCTV cameras keeping a hawk’s eye on various areas.

Around 20,000 personnel will be deployed on specific locations from January 25, the day Obama arrives in Delhi and the number will almost double the next day, Delhi Police said.

Police said over 45,000 security personnel will be deployed on the streets of the national capital January 26 for the Republic Day celebrations. Obama’s will be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day parade.

Around 15,000 newly-installed CCTV cameras will be used to keep watch in areas where Obama’s cavalcade will move as also some other roads and markets.

 

Courtesy: Zeenews