US President Barack Obama has cancelled his trip to the iconic Taj Mahal on the eve of his three-day visit to India, says the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday.
Obama will head to Saudi Arabia instead to condole the death of King Abdullah, US government sources said; the White House meanwhile said that the president regrets the cancellation of his Agra visit.
"The Ministry of External Affairs has informed us this morning that Mr Obama will not be visiting Agra," city District Magistrate Zohair Bin told The Indian Express.
The Obamas will leave for their country after the US president's speech at Siri Fort on Tuesday, said CNN-IBN.
The city commissioner had earlier admitted that there was uncertainty over Obama's trip, while UP's principal secretary said that the American security team had left Agra, reports NDTV.
Barack Obama along with First Lady Michelle Obama was slated to visit the Taj on 27 January.
Obama will begin a three-day visit to India starting Sunday. The visit caps a remarkable turnaround in relations between the world's two largest democracies from a low point a year ago.
Visiting on the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was until last year denied a visa to visit the United States, Obama will be the first sitting US president to visit India twice, and the first to be the chief guest at New Delhi's showpiece Republic Day military parade.
(With inputs from Reuters)
