Centre spent Rs 38 lakh on Trump's 36-hour State Visit in 2020: RTI
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre spent approximately Rs 38 lakh on the 36-hour State visit by former US President Donald Trump in 2020 in accommodation, meals, logistics etc, the External Affairs Ministry has told the Central Information Commission.
On his maiden visit to India, Trump accompanied by his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and several top officials had visited Ahmedabad, Agra, and New Delhi on February 24-25, 2020.
He had spent three hours in Ahmedabad on February 24 during which he attended a 22-km-long roadshow, paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram, and addressed a mega gathering "Namaste Trump" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the newly built Motera Cricket Stadium.
Trump later flew to Agra on the same day to visit Taj Mahal.
He visited the national capital on February 25 where he held bilateral talks with Modi.
One Mishall Bhathena in an RTI had sought to know from the External Affairs Ministry the total expenses incurred by the Indian government during the visit of the President and First Lady of the United States of America in February 2020, including the expense on food, security, housing, flights, transport, etc.
Bhathena who had filed the application on October 24, 2020, did not receive any response following which he filed a first appeal and later approached the Commission, the highest appellate authority in RTI matters.
The EAM gave a submission to the Commission on August 4, 2022 citing COVID-19 for the delay in furnishing a response.
Expenditure by host nations on incoming State Visits by Heads of State/Heads of Government is a well-established practice and in accordance with internationally accepted norms.
In this context, the Government of India incurred certain expenses on accommodation, meals, logistics in connection with the State Visit to India by the US President Donald J Trump to India from 24-25 February. The expenditure is estimated at Rs 38,00,000 approximately," the submission said.
After going through submissions, Chief Information Commissioner Y K Sinha said the ministry has explained the cause of delay in furnishing the reply satisfactorily.
"The Appellant has chosen not to buttress his case despite service of hearing notice. Hence the cause of dissatisfaction of the Appellant with the information provided cannot be ascertained," Sinha said.
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
