"Look so forward to being with my great friends in India " - Donald Trump tweeted.
On his return to the White House after four days of hectic political campaigning in the western parts of the country, the US President did not go for a round of golf, which is normally done during a bright sunny weekend day in Washington !!
President Trump will pay a state visit to India on February 24 and 25 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Now, a few salient features !!
- Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is presently the National Chair of the Trump Victory Finance Committee, was the key architect for the success of the "Howdy, Modi!" event in September 2019 at Houston.
It is said - with her dynamism and sincerity Guilfoyle has taken the Trump campaign to a higher level, reaching out to all minority communities in the US including Indian-Americans.
Trump's high-level delegation to India would include First Lady Melania Trump, the President's daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and a galaxy of top American officials.
According to one of his associates, Al Mason, advisor to Global Real Estate Investments, Education Institutions, President Trump loves Indians and Indian-Americans and in return for their part, the . Indian Americans nationwide also like him as much.
"Why else would 1,20,000 Indians sign up to attend Trump's rally in the world largest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad"... he said. An estimated 5 million Indians would be greeting President Trump from the Airport to the cricket stadium on Monday, Feb 24, 2020.
Trump's visit comes months ahead of crucial Presidential elections in the US wherein Trump would be seeking re-election.
(In the meantime in the US, Trump's campaign just reportedly paid millions to buy out the ad space on YouTube's homepage ahead of the election, ensuring it will reach viewers at a crucial time, reports Business Insider)
DIPLOMACY is the flavour of the season.
But there is SKEPTICISM and sharp CRITICISM !
All diplomatic roads lead to Ahmedabad: Priyanka mocks on 'Namaste Trump' funds; Pak gets US caution on terror
US President Donald Trump will be arriving India against the backdrop of India’s multibillion-dollar purchase of a Russian missile system, which certainly according to a Reuters news agency has added 'friction' to New Delhi's ties with Washington.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, PM Narendra Modi's trusted lieutenant in her budget proposal for 2020-21 announced new import tariffs on medical devices, walnuts, toys, electronics and other products. This could impact US companies and of course reduce imports from China !
Congress is pursuing its policy of negativism and skepticism.
AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to Twitter and said: "Rs 100 crore is being spent on the visit of President Trump. But this money is being spent through a committee. The members of the committee do not know that they are its members".
"Does the country not have the right to know which ministry gave how much money to the committee? What is the government hiding under the guise of the committee?" the Congress general secretary wrote.
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| Photo: UCAN News/AFP |
The Congress party also took a dig questioning the existence of the 'Donald Trump Nagrik Abhinandan Samiti'. "69 lakh vacancies of the 2 crore promised by Modi ji have been announced. Apply now. Hurry!" the party said in a tweet.
Of course and as predicted the BJP has reacted sharply.
BJP spokesman Sambit Patra said: "Trump's visit will be a landmark moment in Indo-US relations and the Congress should start taking pride in the nation's achievements.
"This is a meeting of the world's largest and oldest democracies and it should be celebrated...There are times when political parties should keep aside their identities and think as one nation," he said.
Patra also wondered whether Sonia Gandhi had given the liberty and allowed her handpicked former prime minister Manmohan Singh to develop 'Prime Minister Narendra Modi-like rapport with global leaders'.
It is worth mentioning, during Manmohan Singh's tenure - two US Presidents George W Bush (2006) and Barack Obama (2010) had visited India. Moreover, the big ticket Civil Nuclear Agreement was pushed during the tenure of Dr Singh.
More than 10,000 police personnel have been deployed as part of massive security arrangement for Donald Trump's mega road-show.
A similar roadshow was organised in Ahmedabad with much pomp and gaiety for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 14, 2017
Meanwhile, cargo plane of the US Air Force landed at the Ahmedabad international airport on Saturday, Feb 22.
The C-17 Globemaster cargo plane, fourth in the last few days, carried security equipment and a special vehicle.
Trump will arrive in Ahmedabad on February 24 for a less that 36-hour visit to India. He will be visiting Taj city - Agra and also New Delhi. Diplomatic engagements would be held in Delhi only.
The US president will attend "Namaste Trump" event along with Prime Minister Modi at newly-constructed world's largest cricket stadium Motera Stadium.
The stadium has a seating capacity for 1.10 lakh people.
Hours before Trump's visit, a senior US official said Pakistan must continue the 'crackdown on terrorists'.
"We continue to believe a core foundation of any successful dialogue between the two (Indian and Pakistan) is based on continued momentum in Pakistan's efforts to crack down on terrorists and extremists on its territory. So we continue to look for that," the official said.
Feeling the pinch more so because of FATF warning, Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Feb 22 said that his country's war against terrorism will be consolidated to achieve enduring peace.
General Bajwa's remarks came on the third anniversary of Operation Radd ul Fasaad (RuF - 'rejection of violence'), a counter-terrorism operation launched under his leadership in Pakistan.
"Gains of two decades of war on terror shall be consolidated to achieve enduring peace and stability both for Pakistan and the region," Pakistan Army's spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar quoted Bajwa.
"In this journey from terrorism to tourism, security forces and intelligence agencies backed by the entire nation, achieved unparalleled success at a monumental cost paid in men and material," he said.
In February 2017, the terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for several suicide attacks across Pakistan.
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| Modi and Obama: Jan 2015 |
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