US President Barack Obama's Agra Visit Cancelled, Say Senior Officials

[ayesha.a]

US President Barack Obama's Agra Visit Cancelled, Say Senior Officials

US President Barack Obama will not keep his date with Agra after all. Agra's District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar has told NDTV that the US President has cancelled his plans to visit the city on January 27.

However, there is no official word from the US or Indian government yet.

Uttar Pradesh's Principal Secretary Navneet Sehgal said that American security team has left Agra.

The US President is coming to India on Sunday on a three-day visit on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After attending the Republic Day parade on January 26 as chief guest, Obama was scheduled to go to Agra with his family to see the Taj Mahal.

Elaborate security measures were put in place for the US President and his family for their Agra visit.

About 100 American security personnel along with their 4000 Indian counterparts were meant to provide a protective cover for the US First Family's visit to the Taj Mahal.

An intense ground-to-air paraphernalia was also put in place to ensure that there is no untoward incident during the visit of the world's most guarded leader.

CCTV cameras have been installed along the route from the Kheria airport to Taj Mahal, a distance of about 11 km. Officials indicated that commandos have been posted along the street corners, on roof tops and crossings. Senior officials including half a dozen IPS officers, hundreds of inspectors, sub-inspectors, from neighbouring districts have been put on the job.

Obama, who will be arriving in India on January 25 for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and be the chief guest at the Republic Day, will leave India on January 27.

 

[Razia Sultana]

If its true then it means president obama wants to accommodate more meetings in his trip. He can always visit Tajmahal after he retires.

 

[Tameem]

If its true then it means president obama wants to accommodate more meetings in his trip. He can always visit Tajmahal after he retires.

He is going KSA instead for Condolences

 

[third eye]

Obama won't see the Taj Mahal this time as Agra visit cancelled - The Times of India

LUCKNOW: The much anticipated visit of US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle to Agra has been cancelled, Uttar Pradesh government officials said on Saturday.

A government spokesman said that the presidential visit "for all practical purposes was over".

The US president will be leaving for Saudi Arabia from New Delhi on January 27.

While Obama has retained the programme of his address to a select gathering in Delhi on January 27, a visit to Agra to see the iconic Taj Mahal has been cancelled as the US president will leave from New Delhi for Saudi Arabia whose king Abdullah died on Thursday night.

Obama is coming to India on a three-day state visit on January 25. He will become the first US president to be the chief guest at Republic Day parade on January 26. The Agra visit was slated on the last day of his sojourn.

The official said that the advance teams of the US Secret Service and other officials have returned. He did not elaborate.

Sources, however, told IANS that the Union government had earlier told the state officials that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav or anyone else was not required to receive the Obamas in Agra as it was not an official programme.

Yadav and his team had in fact, an aide conceded, prepared for the high-profile visit and were okay with even a "brief" engagement between the US president and the UP chief minister.

Commandos patrol the Taj Mahal in Agra. (PTI Photo)

This was not to be as neither the BJP-led government was keen on this nor the security agencies who were not comfortable with the US president flying to Agra.

"The US first lady and the president both were keen to visit Taj...specially since they were unable to do so in 2010, but the plan has now been cancelled," an official privy to the visit confirmed.

A man cleans the fountain at the Taj Mahal. (PTI Photo)

Due to the seasonal fog, the US Secret Service was not keen to take the two-hour long Yamuna Expressway route from New Delhi to Agra and the "general security brief about UP was a thumbs down", an official added.

US presidential: all security parameters had been met, all arrangements had been organised: Pankaj Kumar DM Agra pic.twitter.com/sJGLDhRwzx

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 24, 2015
We have been conveyed visit to Taj is cancelled, no local reason behind it : Pankaj Kumar, DM Agra on #ObamaInIndia pic.twitter.com/elfwzzFXxy

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 24, 2015

 

[Ind4Ever]

He is going to visit the new Saudi King .

 

[jaunty]

He is going KSA instead for Condolences

It must make you proud as a Pakistani!

 

[Tameem]

It must make you proud as a Pakistani!

Yaar its a highly symbolic visit even Time downplaying it like that
5 Things You Need to Know About Obama's Visit to India

But you people acting like.....Jaisay Lotry Nikal ayee hoo

 

[Storm Force]

Nice guy going to Saudi to pay respects to kings family after he died.

I see he has ignored Pakistan pleas for a stop over then

 

[anant_s]

There will always be a next time. Hope he finishes his official business, which is of far greater significance.

 

[Steakhouse]

Oh man Obama willing to paid homage to a dead Muslim Saudi king instead of stay longer and visit a state in India wholeheartedly with all out effort to clean up all the filth, displacement of 10 thousands homeless on the street, increase security, install all the CCTV just to honor Obama visit, close to last minute he dissed the plan and detour to Saudi to honor a dead Muslim king.

 

[gslv]

Well good for agra ppl. They were planning to shut down mobile communications that day.

 

[gslv mk3]

He found some other place to watch corpses floating past people brushing teeth and relieving themselves in the river.

@Oscar @Chak Bamu @Horus @Jungibaaz This troll is trolling relentlessly in every India related thread.What happened to forum rules ?