Uncertainty prevails over Capt-Trudeau meeting

Varinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 16

There is uncertainty over a formal meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh during the former’s visit to Amritsar on February 21.

A Canadian news portal has reported, “Trudeau will not meet the Indian politician who has publicly accused members of his Cabinet of being connected to the Sikh separatist movement.”

Sources in the Chief Minister’s Office said it had neither received any communication from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) nor from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) so far. Sources in the PMO indicated that no efforts were being made as of now to arrange a meeting between the Canadian PM and Capt Amarinder. Since it is a state visit, it is for the MEA or the PMO to decide who all will meet the dignitary.

Officials of the state government said no formal meeting between the two had been scheduled so far.

A government spokesman refused to comment on news reports that Capt Amarinder would accompany the Canadian PM on his visit to the Golden Temple.

Capt Amarinder had recently said that he looked forward to meeting the Canadian PM during the latter’s visit to India.

Capt Amarinder had refused to meet Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan during the latter’s Punjab visit in 2017, dubbing him a “supporter of the Khalistan movement in Canada”.

The Congress leader had been denied permission to hold public meetings by the Canadian Government ahead of his proposed visit to that country in 2016, apparently after the intervention of Sikh hardliners.