UP govt told to be prepared for Donald Trump visit

New Delhi: The Centre has asked the UP government to prepare for a visit by US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania to the Taj Mahal in Agra on February 24 or 25. A key issue to be sorted out is whether to allow the US President's 'Beast' vehicle as far as the forecourt of the Taj Mahal. If it isn’t allowed, a battery-operated golfcart will take the Trumps from the East Gate of the Taj Mahal.

The Supreme Court has banned fuel-run vehicles around 500 meter of the Taj Mahal - an issue that is believed to have led to US Secret Service red-flagging President Barack Obama’s visit to the Taj Mahal in 2015. Officially, Obama cut short his India trip by a few hours, skipping the Taj Mahal, to be in Riyadh to pay homage to Saudi King Abdullah who had passed away.

“The visit is likely on February 25 as he will be in Ahmedabad on February 24. But we have been asked to be prepared for a February 24 evening visit too. President Trump may directly arrive from Ahmedabad. A confirmed minute-to-minute programme is awaited and a US team is expected in Agra on Monday to discuss the arrangements,” a top UP government official told ET. The last US President to visit Taj Mahal was Bill Clinton.

It is being speculated that Trump’s daughter Ivanka could join the couple for the visit. The UP CM is expected to visit Agra next week to oversee the arrangements, which may include school children lining up on the road from Agra airport till the Taj Mahal. This would be unlike the arrangements made during Clinton’s visit when the streets were cleared of people, prompting him to term Agra a 'ghost town'.