Authorities in New Delhi were preparing for a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama on January 24, a day before the leader's arrival for a two-day trip.
On January 23, Obama suggested that India’s neighbor and rival, Pakistan, is lagging behind the government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the fight against terrorism.
Obama warned Pakistan that it must do more to shut down terrorist safe havens and bring those behind the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks to justice.
Although relations between India and the United States have been strained in recent years, Obama is seeking to build on ties established during Modi's visit to Washington last autumn.
The White House says it hopes for progress on climate change, defense and economic ties.
For New Delhi, the centerpiece of the visit is on January 26, when Modi will host Obama at a Republic Day parade marking the anniversary of India's constitution coming into force in 1950.
Obama's visit originally was scheduled to last three days, but the White House announced on January 24 that he was cutting the trip short by one day in order to meet in Saudi Arabia with the country's new monarch, King Salman.