Sarokozy, Bruni to visit Agra

AGRA - French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni will arrive at Agra’s Kheria airport around 4 p.m. Saturday and proceed straight to hotel Amar Vilas, just 600 metres from the monument of love, Taj Mahal.

This is the same hotel where former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf had stayed for the jinxed Indo-Pak summit in 2001.

Sarkozy will spend the night in the hotel suite, Kohinoor, which provides a breath-taking view of the Taj Mahal.

According to official sources, President Sarkozy will visit the Taj Mahal on Sunday after breakfast, spend an hour there and return for lunch before proceeding to Mughal emperor Akbar’s deserted capital Fatehpur Sikri. The French couple accompanied by some senior ministers and security personnel will head for Delhi Sunday evening.

On Friday, security agencies carried out a series of rehearsals. Police said the entire Mall road, Shilpgram road, and the stretch from the airport to Pratabpura crossing would be sealed. The Agra-Fatehpur Sikri road too would be out of bounds for the public till the conclusion of the visit of the VVIP.

Sources said that press photographers and media persons would not get any opportunity to interact with the French couple.

Archaeological Survey of India sources indicated Saturday that the Taj would remain closed for tourists for about two hours and Fatehpur Sikri for one hour.