US President Barack Obama cancels Agra visit

Sources, however, told IANS that the union government had earlier told the state officials that Chief Minister Akhilesh



Yadav or anyone else was not required to receive the Obama couple in the Taj city as it was not an official programme.

Yadav and his team had in fact, an aide conceded, prepared for the high-profile visit and were okay with even a "brief" engagement between the US president and the UP chief minister.  This was not to be as neither the BJP-led government was keen on this nor the security agencies who were not comfortable with the US president flying to Agra. 

"The US first lady and the president both were keen to visit Taj...specially since they were unable to do so in 2010, but the plan has now been cancelled," an official privy to the visit confirmed.

Due to the seasonal fog, the Secret Service was not keen to take the two-hour long Yamuna Expressway route from New Delhi to Agra and the "general security brief about UP was a thumbs down", an official added.