NEW DEHLI: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in India on a week-long visit but the Indian leader Narendra Modi is not with him.
Contrary to what has been the practice of Indian PM of welcoming important foreign leaders at the airport, receiving minister was State Minister Agriculture Ganjendra Singh, not even External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj or her two deputies Gen VK Singh or MJ Akbar.
Not the kind of reception befitting a rockstar, said Indian media. ‘PM Modi and Sushma did not even tweet any welcome message for the Canadian premier,’ the report added.
On official state visits to India, PM Modi personally greets and welcomes the Israeli PM, UAE Crown Prince and US President. For PM Trudeau, he sends a low-ranking official. “Canada is back” pic.twitter.com/ezsMtFTPzr
— Candice Malcolm (@CandiceMalcolm) February 17, 2018
One reason why Trudeau has been cold shouldered is the apparent support he and his government have been giving to pro-Khalistan voices in Canada. Two of four Sikh ministers in Trudeau’s cabinet Harjit Sajjan and Amarjit Sohi have both supported radical Khalistani elements in Canada.
The visiting PM is in Gujarat today but Modi preferred an election rally in Karnataka instead of being with Trudeau, as he was during the visits of other world leaders like Xi Jinping, Shinzo Abe and Benjamin Netanyahu.
Not only this, chief ministers of Punjab and UP were ‘conspicuously missing’ when Trudeau visited the Golden Temple and Taj Mahal. Contrast this with the way UP CM Yogi Adityanath rolled out the red carpet for Israeli PM Netanyahu last month.
Canadian media too was unhappy over the treatment meted out to their prime minister.
Sharing my remarks at the joint press meet with President @HassanRouhani. https://t.co/5mTIKgFTUs pic.twitter.com/CAstQi1Opk
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 17, 2018