Not 70 lakh, but one lakh to attend Trump roadshow

Ahmedabad: Nearly one lakh people are expected to line up along the 22-km route of the roadshow of US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Ahmedabad on February 24, officials said on Thursday.

The number is much less than what the US president has been claiming. In a recent video, Trump said, “7 million (70 lakh)” people will be there on the roadshow route. Notably, the total population of Ahmedabad is estimated to be around 70 to 80 lakh.

Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra on Wednesday said the number of those expected to be present at the roadshow will be “around one lakh”. In a tweet a few days back, Nehra estimated the same figure.

“MaruAmdavad says #NamasteTrump #IndiaRoadShow is getting bigger & bigger. More than 1 lakh participants already confirmed for the 22 km roadshow. Great opportunity for #Ahmedabad to present Indian Culture to the World. Keep following @AmdavadAMC for more details,” he said in a tweet on February 16.

As per the roadshow route plan, Trump and Modi will first reach the Sabarmati Ashram, a place closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi, from the Ahmedabad international airport.

From the Sabarmati Ashram, both the leaders would take the SP Ring Road via Indira Bridge near the airport to reach the newly-built cricket stadium in Motera area of the city.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had earlier posted a video on his Twitter account, saying the “world’s oldest democracy would meet the world’s largest democracy on February 24” when Trump would address a large gathering at the cricket stadium along with Modi.