News Brief
Nishtha Anushree
Jul 15, 2024, 02:54 PM | Updated 02:54 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has again come into the crosshairs of Indian, especially Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), leaders over his remarks after meeting singer Diljit Dosanjh on Sunday (14 July).
Posting a photo with the singer, Trudeau said on X, "Stopped by the Rogers Centre to wish Diljit Dosanjh good luck before his show."
Calling Canada a great country, Trudeau said, "Here a guy from Punjab can make history and sell out stadiums. Diversity isn’t just our strength. It’s a superpower."
This sparked controversy as instead of calling Dosanjh an Indian singer, he stressed his Punjab identity. This is in line with his support to Khalistani separatists in Canada.
Correcting Trudeau, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, "Mr. Prime Minister- where one guy from INDIA can make history and sell out stadiums."
"Your gesture of lauding a fantastic artist like Diljit has been totally overshadowed by your deliberate mischief through wordplay," he added.
Many other social media influencers also objected to Trudeau's remarks. However, Dosanjh reacted by thanking the Canadian PM and said, "It was an honour to have you."
In another post, Dosanjh agreed to Trudeau's diversity remark and said, "Diversity is Canada's strength. PM Trudeau came out to check out the history in making: we sold out the Rogers Centre!"
Trudeau has been avoiding acting against Khalistani terrorists based in Canada, despite repeated requests from India. His raising of the Hardeep Singh Nijjar killing issue has strained ties with India.
Nishtha Anushree is Senior Sub-editor at Swarajya. She tweets at @nishthaanushree.