India accused of 'hiding' poor people ahead of Trump visit
As a wall goes up alongside a slum area containing 2,000 people, one resident asks: "Why are they hiding us poor people?"
Tuesday 18 February 2020 20:05, UK
India has denied trying to hide poor people from Donald Trump - despite building a brick wall alongside a slum the US president is due to be driven past.
Ahead of Mr Trump's visit to the city of Ahmedabad next week, the 400-metre barrier has been put up for "security reasons, beautification and cleanliness", government official Bijal Patel said.
But resident Keshi Saraniya said: "Why are they hiding us poor people? Why not use (the money) to improve our slum and provide better facilities for us?"
An event called Namaste Trump, which translates as Greetings Trump, is due to be held at the largest cricket stadium in the world and is likely to resemble the Howdy Modi rally attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Houston last September.
Mr Trump will inaugurate the rebuilt Motera Stadium, which holds 110,000 spectators.
Eviction notices have been served to 45 families living in another slum area near the sports venue.
Residents said they were asked to leave because of next Monday's event - something denied by local authorities.
"This is injustice," said resident Sanjay Patani. "We have been living here for the last 20 years and now we are suddenly being told to vacate because some important leader is visiting this city for a day."
Government official Kishore Varna said the land belongs to the local authority and the evictions are legal, but did not say why they have happened so close to the US president's visit.
Ahmedabad is in Mr Modi's home state of Gujarat, where he was chief minister for 12 years before becoming PM in 2014.
Authorities have spent about £9m on the visit, which is likely to last for around three hours.
Eighteen roads from Ahmedabad Airport to the stadium have been widened or re-laid.
Mr Trump's trip, on 24 and 25 February, is intended to lessen tensions between the two countries after his administration put tariffs on steel and aluminium from India.
India responded with higher tariffs on agricultural goods and restrictions on US medical devices.