UK PM Boris Johnson Jumps on JCB Bulldozer in Gujarat
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is on a two-day visit to India meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi today to hold in-depth talks.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived at Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, April 21, morning. This is his maiden visit to Gujarat and he was greeted by state Governor Acharya Devvrat and Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel. Soon after landing in India, Johnson tweeted, "It’s fantastic to be in India, the world’s largest democracy. I see vast possibilities for what our great nations can achieve together. Our powerhouse partnership is delivering jobs, growth and opportunity. I look forward to strengthening this partnership in the coming days." Johnson spent the whole day in Gujarat. On Thursday 21 April morning he visited the famous Sabarmati Ashram. It is an immense privilege to come to the ashram of this extraordinary man, and to understand how he motivated people with such simple principles of truth and non-violence to change the world for the better,” he wrote in the visitors’ book at the ashram. He also met industrialist Gautam Adani for a meeting. He also visited the JCB factory. JCB is a British construction equipment firm which is in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat. Images of him climbing on a JCB went viral on the internet.
He also visited the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar. Later in the day, Johnson spent nearly an hour at the under-construction Gujarat Biotechnology University (GBU), at Gandhinagar. The university was set up by the State government in collaboration with UK-based Edinburgh University.At GBU, Johnson held a closed-door meeting with the Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and visited two laboratories. He interacted with faculty members and research scholars for around 15 minutes. On Thursday evening he left for Delhi. Today, 22 April, he is going to have a meeting with PM Modi. Johnson’s visit to India comes at a time when India has taken a neutral stand on the Russian invasion of Ukraine which has drawn sharp criticism from western countries. Especially the US, which has accused India of not taking a clear stance against Russia. When asked whether he will talk to Modi about the Russia-Ukraine war, Johnson said, “I think everybody understands that India and Russia have historically had very different relationships compared to Uk-Russia relations. I am looking forward to talking about this with PM Modi.”
After his meeting with Modi rumours say that Johnson was expected to announce major investment and new collaboration on cutting-edge science, health and technology. The UK Prime Minister will also hold talks with External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar. Today Prime Minister Narendra Modi received UK PM Boris Johnson at Rashtrapati Bhavan and they will have a meeting.
