British PM to meet Adani in Gujarat, likely to visit Akshardham temple

After state heads of China, Japan, Israel and the United States, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is landing in Ahmedabad on Thursday along with a delegation of nearly 70 people including trade minister Gerald Edgar Grimstone and over two dozen journalists.

The British PM is scheduled to hold talks with industrialists including Adani Group's Gautam Adani. Sources said that Johnson is also likely to visit Mahatma Gandhi-founded Sabarmati Ashram and Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar.

"We are not sure about Ashram and Akshardham but advance security liaisoning (ASL) and other preparations have been completed for both the places as per his itinerary," a government source told DH. ASL is done by the central intelligence bureau and local police at least a day before the arrival of highly secured VIPs.

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Sources said that the British prime minister is slated to land at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad by a special aircraft and head for Hotel Hyatt Regency at Ashram Road. He will head to the JCB plant in an industrial area in Holol in central Gujarat by a chopper.

"He is scheduled to meet Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group in the afternoon along with his associates including trade minister Gerald Edgar Grimstone. After this close door meeting, he will head for Gujarat Biotechnology University at GIFT city (Gujarat International Financial Tech-City) in Gandhinagar.

In a press note released on Wednesday evening, the state government said that the prime minister of the United Kingdom was visiting under construction of Gujarat Biotechnology University "as a part of his India visit schedule." It added that the British PM will be welcomed by the chief minister Bhupendrabhai Patel accompanied by Jitubhai Vaghani, minister of science and technology.

So far, Chinese president Xi Jinping, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and former US President Donald Trump have visited Ahmedabad and were hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in grand functions. However, the day-long visit of the British PM is set to remain a low-key affair. Johnson will leave for Delhi on Thursday later in the night.

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