Trump receives warm welcome on two-day trip

INDIA poured on the pageantry with a joyful, colourful welcome for US President Donald Trump that kicked off a whirlwind 36-hour visit. More than 100,000 people packed into the world’s largest cricket stadium, giving Trump the biggest rally crowd of his political career.

Earlier, Trump visited a former home of independence leader Mohandas Gandhi, and capped his whirlwind day with a sunset tour of India’s famed Taj Mahal.

Nearly everyone in the newly constructed stadium in Ahmedabad in western India sported a white cap with the name of the event, “Namaste, Trump” or “Welcome, Trump,” and roared for the introductions of both Trump and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But miles away in the capital of New Delhi, Indian police used tear gas and smoke grenades to disperse a crowd of clashing protesters hours before Trump was due to arrive, as violence broke out over a new citizenship law that excludes Muslims.

Anti-Trump street demonstrations also erupted in Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Guwahati, but not in the city where Trump was welcomed to India.

Trump opened his speech by declaring that he travelled 8000 miles to deliver the message that “America loves India, America respects India and America will always be faithful and loyal friends to the Indian people”. He basked in the raucous reception that has eluded him on many foreign trips, some of which have featured massive protests.

In India, he instead received a warm embrace from the ideologically aligned Modi. He told Modi: “Your nation is doing so well, we are very very proud of India. The story of the Indian nation is a tale of astounding progress.”