NEW DELHI, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has canceled a much anticipated visit to Taj Mahal in northern India during his tour to the country early next week due to security reasons, said official sources here Saturday.
Obama will fly to Saudi Arabia after ending his visit to India Tuesday after attending the Republican Day celebration next Monday and holding talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Mondi, said the official sources.
The cancellation of the plan to visit Taj Mahal which is at Agra, Uttar Pradesh and 200 km from Delhi came after an advance team of the U.S. Secret Service and other U.S. officials toured the site earlier this week.
Due to the seasonal fog, the Secret Service was not keen to take the two-hour long Yamuna Expressway route from New Delhi to Agra and the "general security brief about Uttar Pradesh was a thumbs down", the Indo-Asian News Service quoted an official in the state as saying.
India has been on an unprecedented sweep across the capital to prepare for Obama's visit.
|
