When his own party abandoned him, PM Modi stood with Captain Amarinder Singh

Since his arrival, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has been in news for all wrong reasons, except maybe his son whose ‘cuteness’ became a new media obsession. Hadrien Trudeau was pitted against our very own Taimur in a ‘cuteness’ race of sorts.

PM Modi famous for receiving the head of states like Benjamin Netanyahu and Shizo Abe in his own warm style, often by breaking protocols gave the blue- eyed boy of liberals all across the world a royal snub. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau was received my MoS for agriculture, despite India and Canada sharing important strategic relation in terms of free trade. This aloofness and cold shoulder continued in Agra, where Trudeau visited Taj Mahal escorted only by the district magistrate and commissioner. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath followed PM Modi and snubbed Justin Trudeau too. PM Modi’s message was all too evident, delivered in a coherent and straightforward manner, no room for “Separatist Sympathizers” a direct repercussion of disrespecting “Punjab Ka Kaptan CM Captain (Retd.) Amarinder Singh” (Punjab Ka Kaptan was campaign launched during Punjab Assembly election).

Justin Trudeau had reportedly turned down the traditional custom of meeting Punjab CM on Amritsar visit which was on schedule for 21st of the month. Trudeau purposely behaved to defend his image of “Pro-Khalisatani Critic” and tried to maintain distance from Captain Amarinder Singh, who has been a vocal critic of Khalistan movement and has often accused Trudeau’s cabinet colleagues of hobnobbing with the separatist forces. It is a plain truth that such miscreants get space in Canada and they regularly target India. Some of the past incidences of holding Indian official from entering Gurudwara or passing of resolution to acknowledge Anti-Sikh riot as genocide by pro-Khalistan legislature inducted in Trudeau cabinet are testimonials of Trudeau’s soft stand towards the Khalistan problem.

But even when one of their own leaders was being disrespected by a visiting Prime Minister, Congress turned paradoxical expressing their desire to hug Justin Trudeau. Divya Spandana tweeted: “I’d give him a hug!! India loves @JustinTrudeau”

Divya Spandana is the head of INC social media cell, responsible for image makeover of the Congress party through efficient and effective use of “bots” and “fake accounts”. And similar reaction came from Sanjay Jha in scoot to welcome Trudeau. He Tweeted “Welcome PM @JustinTrudeau to India; easily the epitome of progressive liberalism whose ecumenical, catholic approach to a world increasingly ruptured by religious divisiveness and parochial politics is such a welcome relief”.

In such context, PM Modi sensed correctly that in their bid to oppose the government, the opposition was going against country. PM Modi’s cold shoulder to Trudeau was widely covered in International Media. And Trudeau buckled under pressure as he met Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh.

Not the one to leave an opportunity, Punjab CM Amarinder Singh raised the “Khalistan issue” with Trudeau and has even been assured that Canada does not and will not support any separatist movement in India or elsewhere. Captain Amarinder Singh gave Trudeau a list of nine Category ‘A’ Canada-based operatives alleged to be involved in hate crimes, terrorist activities and trying to radicalise young people and children in Punjab.

The antipathy of Congress towards Amarinder Singh is an old internal strife in Congress. Recently, his name was dropped from newly formed steering committee which includes most of the previous regular CWC members. Possibly because CM Amarinder Singh was very aggressive during Punjab assembly election and forced INC to announce him as the CM candidate reluctantly. He offered little room and authority to the INC president in the campaigning too.

Nevertheless, the strong signal by honourable PM Narendra Modi has communicated Canadian PM Justin Trudeau the message. And PM Modi has proved once again, that national interest for him is above party politics.

This tweet sums it up: