Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in India with family on 17 February to begin his week-long visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries.
Trudeau, on his first state visit to the country after assuming power in 2015, was received not by the Prime Minister, but by a junior minister, the Minister of State for Agriculture, Rajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Political observers across the globe were quick to point out this move on part of the Modi government, especially at a time when the Prime Minister has been seen breaking protocol to receive his guests personally – most recently for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – constituted a deliberate snub after the lingering Khalistan issue. Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has accused several members of the Trudeau cabinet of being Khalistan sympathisers and having links to Sikh separatists, in a very public diplomatic spat. A number of those ministers are part of Trudeau’s contingent to India.
Candice Malcolm, a columnist for Canadian daily Toronto Sun, noted Modi’s absence as Trudeau landed:
But it is also being argued that Modi not receiving Trudeau personally is simply down to the fact that Canada does not carry the political, strategic or economic heft that the US, Israel, or the UAE does. As Vice India’s news editor tweeted:
Observers are perceiving this ‘snub’ as a response to Trudeau’s nonchalant stance on Sikh separatism in Canada.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath too chose not to receive Trudeau and his family in Agra, leaving the organising and meeting to his district magistrate instead. Trudeau and his family were in the city to visit the iconic Taj Mahal.
Yogi had earlier received Israeli PM Netanyahu on the latter’s visit in January.
(The Quint, in association with BitGiving, has launched a crowdfunding campaign for an 8-month-old who was raped in Delhi on 28 January 2018. The baby girl, who we will refer to as 'Chhutki', was allegedly raped by her 28-year-old cousin when her parents were away. She has been discharged from AIIMS hospital after undergoing three surgeries, but needs more medical treatment in order to heal completely. Her parents hail from a low-income group and have stopped going to work so that they can take care of the baby. You can help cover Chhutki's medical expenses and secure her future. Every little bit counts. Click here to donate.)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)