Justin Trudeau: Following a 36-hour delay due to a technical issue with his plane, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau finally returned to Canada on Tuesday. Since they arrived in Delhi on September 8 to attend the G20 Summit, Trudeau and his delegation have been stuck there. Two days later, they were scheduled to take a flight back home. Trudeau had to extend his stay in the city due to a problem with his Airbus aircraft.
Canadian PM Receives Warm Welcome at Delhi Airport
According to Mohammad Hussain, the Press Secretary for the Canadian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the technical issue has been fixed and the aircraft has been given the all-clear to fly, as reported by the news agency ANI. Trudeau was greeted at the airport by Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who praised him for attending the G20 Summit. Earlier, CBC News reported that the CC-150 Polaris plane of the Canadian Air Force, which was headed to pick up Trudeau, had been redirected to London. There was no explanation provided for the unexpected diversion.
Trudeau Faces Diplomatic Tensions with India Over Khalistani Issue During G20 Summit
The snafu occurred amid tense relations between India and Canada. New Delhi has frequently called attention to Toronto’s failure to take action against Khalistani elements and has connected this failure to the Trudeau administration’s “vote bank politics”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced his worries to Trudeau about the ongoing operations of Khalistani elements on Canadian soil during the discussions outside of the G20 Summit. “He (PM Modi) conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement. But, Trudeau remained non-committal about acting against Khalistani elements. “Canada would always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest,” he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Stranded in India Due to Jet Breakdown
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stuck in India with his country’s delegation after the jet they arrived on broke down. A backup plane and replacement components are on their way to India. According to a government official who spoke to Bloomberg under the condition that they not be identified, Trudeau will either go home on the backup plane or wait for the main plane to be repaired. The representative baulked at providing specifics of what has to be replaced.
Canadian Armed Forces’ Efforts to Get Trudeau’s Team Home
“The Canadian Armed Forces continue their best efforts to get the Canadian delegation home,” said a statement from Trudeau’s office. “Their latest update shows an earliest possible departure of Tuesday late afternoon. The situation remains fluid.” Trudeau’s troubles on his trip to India are only made worse by the aviation crisis. When it was discovered that a guy who had been convicted of trying to assassinate an Indian leader on Canadian soil had wound up on Canada’s guest list for an event, his first trip in 2018 turned into a diplomatic fiasco. Before the plane crash on this trip, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had publicly criticised Trudeau for allegedly tolerating “anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada,” a reference to Sikh organisations that support an independent nation known as Khalistan.
Trudeau’s National Security Adviser Points to India
Meanwhile, India is a significant source of foreign interference in Canadian affairs, according to Trudeau’s national security adviser. Although there was no official bilateral meeting between the two prime ministers, Trudeau said that they did have a brief talk on the sidelines about “respect for the rule of law” and foreign meddling. At home, Trudeau’s travel delays sparked discussion about how Canada’s public infrastructure is in disrepair. The 1980s-era Airbus A310s that transport Trudeau and other top officials abroad are in dire need of replacement. For Trudeau’s voyages to Asia, they need to make refuelling breaks and frequently make pauses in Alaska and Japan before continuing on to their final destination because they are so old.
The History of Canada’s Official Jets
However, when the government of former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney bought and modified the jets in the early 1990s, it stirred up controversy. In order to avoid appearing out of touch with regular Canadians, Mulroney’s successor, Jean Chretien, publicly mocked one of them as a “flying Taj Mahal” and refused to use it on official visits. Airbus 330s are now being modified for use as the government replaces its current fleet of government transport vehicles. Trudeau and his family have not resided in his official residence since he was elected in 2015 because it is in such bad condition. The Ottawa home at 24 Sussex Drive was full with asbestos, had poor wiring, draughty windows, and inadequate security features. Because successive prime ministers have failed to spend the public funds required to rebuild it, the house has degraded to this point. While a government agency has removed a large portion of the home’s problematic interior, it is unclear whether the house will be renovated and upgraded, at a cost that could reach C$37 million ($27.2 million), or if a new one will be constructed in its place. On the premises of Canada’s governor general, Trudeau has been residing in a different government building for the time being.
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