G20 Summit: Why was US president Joe Biden's convoy detained in Delhi?

A driver from US president Joe Biden’s G20 convoy was detained in Delhi on Saturday. The driver sent security agencies into a tizzy after breaching protocol But what happened exactly? Let’s take a closer look: According to India Today, the incident occurred after one of the cars from Biden’s convoy entered the premises of the Taj Hotel in Delhi. Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE, is staying at the Taj during the G20.

Security officers flagged the car which had several stickers and detained the driver.

The driver said he was to reach the ITC Maurya, where Biden was staying, at 9.30 am. But he arrived at the Taj Hotel to drop off a businessman he had picked up at Lodhi Estate. As per NDTV, the driver said he picked up another customer as he had time to spare in the morning.

He also claimed to be unaware of the security protocols. “The driver and businessman were questioned by the official of intelligence agencies and he claimed that he was unaware of the protocol and that it was wrong to go outside during security duty,” an official in the know told Indian Express. The driver was questioned and then released. The security officers removed the car from the convoy. Security checks had been intensified across the National Capital on Saturday. A multi-layer security cover had been put in place around the Pragati Maidan area in central Delhi where the summit is taking place. Vehicle checking in New Delhi and bordering areas was intensified. Dog squad and mounted morchas with binoculars were deployed to keep a hawk’s eye on the security arrangements at the venue and the entire New Delhi district. Biden had arrived in the National Capital on Friday. In their over 50-minute talks, Modi and Biden vowed to “deepen and diversify” the bilateral major defence partnership while welcoming forward movement in India’s procurement of 31 drones and joint development of jet engines. The two leaders also deliberated on cooperation in nuclear energy, critical and emerging technologies such as 6G and artificial intelligence, and ways to fundamentally “reshape” multilateral development banks. A joint statement issued at the end of the talks said President Biden lauded India’s G20 Presidency for further “demonstrating” how the G20 as a forum is delivering important outcomes. Biden also participated in key sessions of the G20 Summit on Saturday. Biden on Sunday said this year’s G20 summit has proven that the grouping can still drive solutions to its most pressing issues. “At a moment when the global economy is suffering from the overlapping shocks of the climate crisis, fragility, and conflict, this year’s Summit proved that the G20 can still drive solutions to our most pressing issues,” Biden said. The US president left for Vietnam after he and several other G20 leaders paid homage at Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Rajghat on Sunday morning.

#WATCH | G 20 in India | US President Joe Biden departs from Delhi to Vietnam, after concluding the G20 Summit, earlier visuals. pic.twitter.com/gsAG0m5GwX

— ANI (@ANI) September 10, 2023

With inputs from agencies