Video Editors: Mohd Ibrahim & Ashutosh Bhardwaj
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau landed in India, all set to make a dazzling first impression in his ethnic wear and with his obliging family. Unfortunately, the trip quickly went south, and no amount of glittering Indian clothing could salvage it.
From being greeted at the tarmac by a junior minister rather than Prime Minister Modi himself – a sticking point, given Modi’s penchant for according the personal touch to visiting dignitaries – to being shown around Uttar Pradesh by a district official rather than by UP CM Yogi Adityanath, to an embarrassing gaffe involving a convicted Sikh separatist on the invite list for a formal dinner with Trudeau (which inflamed the host country), to swirling reports in the Canadian press that the gaffe itself may have been subterfuge by ‘rogue’ Indian elements...all in all, it’s been a mess.
But the Canadian first family has made the most of a damp squib, continuing their tradition of embracing and promoting multiculturalism by showing up the Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple, Akshardham and Sabarmati Temples, and the Jama Masjid fully decked in jazzy attire and bright smiles, ready for their photo-op.
And the stunning photos, at least, are a resounding success.
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