U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump tour India
Reuters

The first official visit to India of President Trump was his 36-hour whirlwind tour on Monday. It drew about 100,000 people and was accompanied by a tour of India and the iconic Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal, constructed as a tomb for his beloved wife by an Indian Emperor in the 17th century, was buffed and shrubbed before Trump took the first lady for a sunset tour. Trump, who had first visited the memorial, told the reporters it was "incredible, truly incredible."

The brief visit by Trump will be long and symbolic, but relatively short. Both countries are facing stubborn trade tensions even as their military cooperation continues to deepen. Trump claimed a defense deal with India in the amount of $3 billion.

The first ever Joint Military Exercises between the two countries took place last fall in the USA and India on Air, Land and Sea. Trump claimed "something to behold" for such an event, called "Tiger Triumph," and he praised the helicopter sales agreement, which could be his most substantive policy official statement on this great pageantry week's visit to India.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Government, even from members of Congress, has faced significant international criticism of his Kashmir crackdown and the passage of a controversial bill of religious citizenship that has stirred protests across the country. In preparation for the tour, the senior official of the White House told Trump to bring Modi privately to the issue of religious freedom.

Trump was welcomed by Modi, whom he described as a good friend, when arriving at the Airport in the west city of Ahmedabad. Last year in Houston, both leaders appeared together.

The two leaders traveled from the airport on Monday to an Ashram by the Sabarmati River, where they were 13 years old to live with Mohandas Gandhi, India's revered independent leader. There were tens of thousands of people lined with the roads.

Meanwhile, New Delhi broke out in violence as a new citizenship law clashes between supporters and protestors. A cop and a civilian were killed and an officer was wounded by violence in the northeastern part of the capital. Social media videos showed dark smoke feathers from residences and shops that have been on fire.

Since December, India has seen massive protests against a law that provides a quick-strack road to citizenship for immigrants without documents from six different religions, but that excludes Islam. On Thursday, the US International Religious Freedom Commission described the law as' a significant downward trend in the freedom of religion in India.'

A senior government official told Trump before leaving Washington that during the trip he would address "the religious freedom issue".

Trump flew from Ahmedabad to Agrá to the Taj Mahal, traveling with his wife and daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner. Upon his return, the Chief Minister of India's largest state, Uttar Pradesh, greeted him with Yogi Adityanath, a radical Hindu monk, known for his anti-Muslim rhetoric.

The journey continues on Tuesday in New Delhi, where he finished Monday night, with ceremonies, meetings and a banquet.