New Delhi — President Trump’s two-day visit to India turned to substance Tuesday after opening with a heavy dose of pomp and pageantry, but few concrete accomplishments were expected from the whirlwind trip.
In a joint statement with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Trump announced that India has signed a deal to purchase more than $3 billion of advanced military equipment from the United States, including helicopters. And he said the two leaders made progress on what he described as a “comprehensive trade deal” after talks.
The president also said the U.S. was working productively with Pakistan to battle terrorism there.
Modi was hosting Mr. Trump at Hyderabad House in the capital for the official portion of the president’s visit.
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The president’s jam-packed day was also to include meetings with business leaders and embassy officials, a solo news conference and an opulent state dinner before he and the first lady head back to Washington.
Police said Tuesday that the day before, at least seven people, including a police officer were killed and dozens were injured in clashes in New Delhi between hundreds of supporters and opponents of a new citizenship law. The law provides fast-track naturalization for some foreign-born religious minorities but not Muslims.
The Reuters news service said the violence was the worst in the city since protests against the law started more than two months ago.
There were no big protests in New Delhi Tuesday, but Reuters said tensions were still high in parts of the city, with schools shut in some areas amid news reports of fresh clashes. At least five metro stations were closed.
Eyes will continue to be on whether Mr. Trump will criticize Modi over the new citizenship law, which has raised fears that India is moving toward a religious citizenship test. Mr. Trump typically refrains from publicly rebuking world leaders for human rights abuses during his overseas trips. He spoke at length on Monday about measures his administration had taken to combat the threat of “radical Islamic terrorism.”
