Ivanka Trump may skip Charminar and visit Golconda Fort, after security concerns

The earlier plans were dropped on security grounds as Charminar is located in a densely populated area.
Ivanka Trump may skip Charminar and visit Golconda Fort, after security concerns
Ivanka Trump may skip Charminar and visit Golconda Fort, after security concerns
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Ivanka Trump, daughter and advisor of US President Donald Trump, who arrived in Hyderabad on Tuesday to attend the GES, will visit the historic Golconda Fort and not the Charminar on Wednesday, police sources told IANS.

After visiting a session on Wednesday morning at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), she will leave for the fort, about 15 km from the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), the venue of the summit.

She was earlier expected to visit the Charminar, a globally recognised monument and symbol of Hyderabad located in the old city area. 

She was also likely to shop at nearby Laad Bazar, famous for bangles and semi-precious stones.

The plans, however, were dropped on security grounds as Charminar is located in densely populated area, notorious for congestion and traffic jams.

The Telangana government is also hosting a dinner for the GES guests at the Golconda Fort on Wednesday. However, she will not attend that dinner as she would be flying back on Wednesday evening.

Since all the security arrangements were already in place at the fort for the dinner, the security agencies cleared the proposal for a sightseeing tour of the fort.

The Golconda Fort on the fringes of the city was the capital of the Qutub Shahi kingdom from 1518 to 1687.

Ivanka Trump will be attending a dinner to be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday at Taj Falaknuma, the palace hotel in the old city.

She is expected to spend two hours at the famed palace. Besides dining with Modi and top officials and delegates at 101-seater dinning table, she will also go around the palace, which was once the residence of the Nizam, the ruler of erstwhile princely State of Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, a massive security cover has been thrown around the city with deployment of over 10,000 policemen due to the GES, being attended by Ivanka Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Telangana Director General of Police M Mahender Reddy had earlier said that all security arrangements have been made for the peaceful and smooth conduct of the three-day event, which will be attended by 1,500 delegates from India, the US and other countries.

The police chief said after attending GES inaugural session, Modi, Ivanka and other delegates reach Taj Falaknuma, a palace hotel in the old city, to attend the dinner hosted by the Indian Government.

After the dinner, Modi will depart from the airport at Shamshabad.

The force which will be deployed by Telangana police include personnel from anti-terrorist unit OCTOPUS, and anti-Maoist force Greyhounds.

The police chief said 50 dog squads and 40 teams for anti-sabotage checks will be pressed into service.

Anti-sabotage checks, access control, road openings, CCTV surveillance system, security vetting of individuals and quick reaction teams will form part of security arrangements.

Reddy said the security arrangements were made in close coordination with US security agencies and Special Protection Group (SPG) and as per the security and protocol guidelines of the Indian Government for foreign dignitaries.

A command and control centre has been opened at DGP's office to monitor security arrangements while a control room will work at HICC. The Police Commissioners of Hyderabad and Cyberabad will be incharge of security in their respective jurisdictions.

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