Rupani denies reports that Rs 100 cr were spent on Trump visit

Refuting reports that the

BJP government in Gujarat splurged Rs 100 crore on US President Donald Trump's visit, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on Friday said a total of Rs 12.5 crore had been earmarked for the occasion.

The state government had sanctioned Rs 8 crore for the preparation for the visit while the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had allocated Rs 4.5 crore, he told the Assembly.

Opposition Congress had claimed in the House on Thursday that the government spent Rs 100 crore. Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia also tweeted on Friday that the government spent "Rs 100 Crore for US President's 3 hour visit" to Ahmedabad on February 24.

 

Rupani denied it. "I do not understand from where people got this figure of Rs 100 crore. I want to clarify that my government had sanctioned only Rs 8 crore. And AMC allotted Rs 4.5 crore," he said while replying to debate on the motion to thank Governor Acharya Devvrat for his address to the Assembly.

"Roads which were built near the Motera stadium were already sanctioned by the AMC. These roads are for people, because Trump has left.

"I firmly believe that visit by Trump made everyone proud, especially Gujarati diaspora in the United States," the chief minister added.

On February 24, Trump, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took part in a 22 km-long roadshow in Ahmedabad and addressed over 1.10 lakh people at the Motera stadium.