Politics over Trudeau visit hots up in Punjab

Had CM shown maturity, Punjab would have benefited: AAP

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Gregoire trying their hands with chapatis at the community kitchen at Golden Temple in Amritsar on Wednesday.

The politics surrounding the issue of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau allegedly not being given “due respect” seems far from over. Punjab’s main Opposition party, the Aam Aadmi Party, on Wednesday hit out at both the BJP-led Centre and the Congress government in the State for showing “immaturity” while dealing with Canada.

Leader of Opposition and Aam Aadmi Party leader Sukhpal Khaira said it was “unfortunate” to see the lack of respect shown to Mr. Trudeau by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and that Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh should have himself received Mr. Trudeau at the airport.

Personal differences

“Capt. Amarinder Singh’s personal differences have brought bad taste (to the relations) between India and Canada. He made unnecessary remarks about Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh earlier. Ultimately the loser is Punjab. Had Capt. Singh shown maturity, Punjab would have benefited,” he told

The Hindu . Mr. Khaira said that Capt. Singh should have received Mr. Trudeau at the airport. “After all he (Mr. Trudeau) is the head of a nation and, in fact, the Punjab CM should have accompanied him to the Golden Temple,” he said.

Hitting out at the Centre, Mr. Khaira tweeted, “Unfortunate to see lack of respect to Canadian PM Trudeau by Narendra Modi, we Punjabis and Sikhs feel deeply hurt as Canada has done us proud by giving wings to our social, political and religious aspirations besides freedom as human beings.”