Trump’s second day in India Violence in Delhi and support for Modi on ‘religious freedom’

NEW DELHI — President Trump said that he had discussed religious freedom with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at length during a closed-door meeting on Tuesday in light of a controversial new citizenship law, and suggested he is more than satisfied with the answer.

“We did talk about religious freedom, and I will say the prime minister was incredible,” Trump said. “In India, they have worked very hard to have great and open religious freedom.”

NEW DELHI — President Trump spent part of Tuesday meeting Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs in an event at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, where he touted his administration’s track record of spurring investment and economic growth at home.

Trump’s first official visit to India is putting a spotlight on his own company’s business partnerships here — the most in any foreign country.

NEW DELHI — First lady Melania Trump visited a public school in New Delhi to attend a “happiness class,” part of a special curriculum introduced across India’s capital in 2018 to emphasize well-being alongside academic achievement.

She was welcomed by students dressed in Indian attire who garlanded her with flowers as other students waved American and Indian flags. A young girl marked Trump’s forehead with colored powder in traditional Indian style.

NEW DELHI — President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed progress Tuesday toward a comprehensive trade deal, but a chummy

atmosphere between the two leaders during Trump’s state visit could not mask frustration that the long-delayed pact is still in limbo.

NEW DELHI — When President Trump travels overseas, he usually shares a stage with his foreign counterparts and takes questions from the media. Not this time.

That’s because Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a notable aversion to news conferences. Indeed, he has not held one during his entire time in office, which began in 2014.

NEW DELHI — President Trump loves a good steak and a juicy hamburger. But neither will be on the menu for official events during his 36 hours in India, where cows are considered sacred by many Hindus and beef is banned in numerous states.

What exactly Trump is eating during his trip has been a matter of intense speculation. On Tuesday evening, he is attending a state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the residence of India’s ceremonial president. The menu has not been released officially, but according to a local media report, it will feature spiced Atlantic salmon and grilled goat meat.

NEW DELHI — As India rolls out the red carpet for President Trump, it is hoping that he doesn’t make any missteps.

Trump has a history of gaffes related to India and its neighbors. He once surprised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi by asserting that India doesn’t share a border with China. (It does.) He publicly mocked India, which has committed billions of dollars to the reconstruction of Afghanistan, for building only a “library” there. (It is possible he mistook the Afghan parliament building, which India funded, for a library.)

NEW DELHI — President Trump honored Mohandas Gandhi with a visit to Raj Ghat, the memorial site where India’s independence leader was cremated after his assassination in 1948.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump removed their shoes for a solemn walk toward the memorial, where a huge white flower wreath was placed to mark their visit. Both Trumps scattered flower petals on to the memorial, sending a cloud of red and gold into the air. They then planted a tree at the site, as per the custom for visiting dignitaries.