Ahead of US president’s arrival in India, special forces have deployed in Ahmedabad

Gandhinagar: The city of Ahmedabad is gearing up for US President Donald Trump’s vist to India, with top-grade security being put in place.

Areas the US leader and his wife Melania are expected to visit or passing through, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be guarded by National Security Guard commandos’ anti-sniper units.

“The entire vicinity of the airport area, the roadshow, the Sabarmati Ashram and the Motera stadium will be supervised by the Ahmedabad police,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Patel told media.

“More than 25 IPS officers, 65 Assistant Commissioners of Police, 200 police inspectors, 800 police sub-inspectors and around 10,000 police personnel will be deployed,” he added.

“Teams of Special Protection Group (SPG) have already arrived in the city and are reviewing the security. The NSG’s anti-sniper units will place themselves at strategic locations.”

Patel said Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad units were already making anti-sabotage checks.

“A guard of honour will be given to the US President and the First Lady when they arrive at the airport. From the airport the dignitaries will go to the Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati and then they will be taken to the Motera stadium,” Patel said.

“Around 120,000 people will be there in the stadium to welcome them. People from various districts have also been personally invited to the inauguration. Every visitor to the stadium will be a personally invited guest,” Patel said.

The entire stadium and the area within the 1.5km radius of the stadium have been fortified. Outside this radius, 28 parking spaces are allotted for visitors.

District delegations have been assigned specific routes right from their places to the stadium. The Ahmedabad police in coordination with the Special Protection Group, state Intelligence Bureau and secret services has planned elaborate arrangements,” said Patel.

“We request the people to cooperate with the police in maintaining security arrangements,” said Patel.

The ‘Kem Chho Trump’ is reciprocation of the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s welcome event in the US, ‘Howdy Modi’ which took place in Houston, Texas, last year.