Obama gets ceremonial guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi:US President Barack Obama arrived here on Sunday to a red-carpet welcome by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his unprecedented second visit during which the two sides are expected to push for operationalising the civil nuclear pact, firm up defence cooperation besi-des strengthening ties in areas like trade.
In a departure from protocol, Modi received Obama and his wife Michelle at the Palam airport after they disembarked from Air Force One at around 9:50 AM for the three-day high-profile visit.
Modi and Obama shook hands and hugged each other reflecting their personal chemistry. Later, the first US couple left in the armoured presidential limousine ‘Beast’ for the ITC Maurya hotel where they are staying. Obama will be the first US President to grace the Republic Day parade as the Chief Guest on Monday.
US President Barack Obama was on Sunday also received by President Pranab Mukherjee in the forecourt of the imposing Rashtrapati Bhavan where he was given a ceremonial Guard of Honour and a 21-gun salute. “It is a great honour and we are so grateful for your extraor-dinary hospitality,” Obama said after the ceremony.
He will hold extensive talks with Modi on a number of strategic issues including ways to break the impasse in implementation of the civil nuclear deal and enhancing defence and economic ties. Both countries are working hard to have “excellent” outcomes from the visit of Obama.
The two countries will also deliberate on ways to boost trade and economic ties as well as the crucial issue of climate change. A multi-layered security blanket was thrown around the city as Central Delhi turned into a virtual fortress with nearly 40,000 personnel drawn from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces guarding every nook and corner and over 15,000 CCTV cameras relaying every movement live to a central control room. Minister-in-Waiting to Obama Piyush Goyal and top officials of Ministry of External Affairs were present at the airport to greet Obama.
The visit was described as “one of India’s most important diplomatic enga-gements in recent times” by the officials here, who maintained that cooperation in key areas of defence, security, counter-terrorism and the situation in India’s extended neighbourhood would be among the key issues to be discussed between Obama and Modi.
Both countries are working hard to have “excellent” outcomes during the visit. Officials said “progress has been made” on the nuclear issue and India was looking forward to “effectively” work with the US in the “extremely important” field.
The Indian liability law holds the suppliers directly liable in case of a nuclear accident while countries like France and the US have asked India to follow global norms under which the primary liability is with the operator. Since all the nuclear power plants in the country are run by the government-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, following international norms will mean the government would have to pay the damages in case of an accident.
Earlier this week, American Ambassador Richard Verma had noted that bilateral trade had grown five folds to USD 100 billion in the past decade, and added that, “We believe there is no reason it can’t grow another five-fold, to USD 500 billion by 2020.” Climate change issue is also expected to figure prominently in talks between Modi and Obama. Both Obama and Modi are also likely to discuss issues relating to India’s neighbourhood as well as global issues. Curtailing his India-visit, Obama has decided to skip a trip to Agra to see iconic Taj Mahal to be able to fly directly from New Delhi to Saudi Arabia to pay tributes to the late King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. An unprece-dented security arrange-ment, comprising Delhi Police and para-military forces, has been put in place in the city.
Snipers of Delhi Police and National Security Guards occupied all high-rise buildings on the routes which Obama will be travelling. A joint team of the US Secret Services and sleuths of central security agencies were monitoring specially established control rooms which are connected to freshly installed CCTVs for the VVIP.
The US President was received at the gates of Rashtrapati Bhavan by a cavalcade of the President’s Bodyguards dressed in bright red with contrasting blue turbans. Forming a ring around his Cadillac ‘the Beast’, the guards escorted him to the central area of the red-sand forecourt of the estate. The precinct of Rashtrapati Bhavan was decked up for the visiting Head of the State, who will be the first US President to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day function on Monday.
The entire stretch from his hotel to the Rashtrapati Bhavan was swarming with security personnel and snipers positioned at roof tops who provided an unassai-lable ring of security around him. Upon his arrival at the forecourt, Obama was received by the President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was escorted to the stage as the national anthems of the United States and India played in the background. Obama inspected the inter-services Guard of Honour. Wing Commander Puja Thakur, who was the Guard Commander, greeted him.
Soon after the Guard of Honour, Obama was escorted to a canopy where the President, the Prime Minister along with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu, Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Lt Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung received him. Mukherjee introduced Obama to the Cabinet Ministers and other dignitaries. (PTI)