Trump reception committee constituted

Manas Dasgupta
Ahmedabad, February 22

The “Donald Trump Nagarik Abhivadan Samiti”, the committee constituted overnight to welcome the US President in Ahmedabad, held its first meeting at the circuit house here. The meeting, however, concluded in just 10 minutes as none of the 10 members of the committee seemed to have any idea what they are expected to do.

The committee was constituted last night with Ahmedabad Mayor Bijal Patel as its chairperson after the Union External Affairs Ministry announced in Delhi that neither the Central nor the Gujarat Government was organising the reception of Trump and his entourage at the Motera Stadium and it would be a “private function”.

BJP’s LS member from Ahmedabad Kirit Solanki, Padma Bhushan awardee and city-based architect BV Doshi and Gujarat University Vice-Chancellor Himanshu Pandya are among those incorporated as members of the committee.

After the meeting, the committee members visited the Motera Stadium to oversee the final preparations for the event on Monday afternoon. But as the committee chairperson kept harping that Trump and PM Modi would be jointly inaugurating the world’s biggest cricket stadium, the Gujarat Cricket Association made it clear that inauguration of the stadium would be held later as some minor details for holding matches were yet to be completed. “The stadium has been given only for holding the ‘Namaste Trump’ event for the leaders of the two biggest democracies to address the gathering and the inauguration of the stadium will be held later,” GCA vice-president Dhanraj Nathwani said.

Patel also had no idea from where were all funds coming for the mega event. “This is the time to concentrate on making the event a gala success rather than indulging in disputes over funding, legality of the committee and such non-issues,” the Mayor said.

During the day, a plane carrying sniffer dogs and more security equipment arrived at the Ahmedabad airport from the US along with a top officer of the secret service. Indian Air Force planes also began air patrolling over the airport and the Motera Stadium, while on the ground thousands of police detailed for security duties took charge of their respective points where they would be required to maintain vigil till the departure of the two leaders from the city.

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