Tremendous honour, writes Prez Trump after paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi

US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat after being accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday.

The US first couple, who had visited the Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad yesterday, placed a wreath at the memorial located on the banks of the Yamuna river in the national capital Delhi.

“The American people stand strongly with a sovereign and wonderful INDIA - The vision of the great Mahatma Gandhi - This is a Tremendous Honour,” Donald Trump wrote in the visitor’s book at the memorial during the visit. Trump had referred to the proposed visit to Rajghat in his speech at Ahmedabad’s Motera stadium that sought to underscore the deep partnership between the two countries.

“The First Lady and I have just had a pleasure of visiting Mahatma Gandhi’s Ashram, a few miles from here, where he launched the famous “Salt March….And tomorrow in Delhi, we will lay a wreath, plant a tree at Raj Ghat in honor of this leader who is revered all around the world,” he told the 1 lakh-strong audience in Gujarat.

At the ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan this morning, Donald Trump was welcomed with a gun salute as his armoured car, nicknamed “The Beast,” was welcomed arrived at the presidential palace. The welcome ceremony included hundreds of military officials, marching with instruments and swords.

After the pomp and pageantry, Trump and Modi are expected to get down to business during their restricted and delegation-level talks at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Tuesday. He headed to Hyderabad House soon after where he is holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.