Canada&#39;s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau struck all the right notes while visiting Punjab on Wednesday, the most-watched leg of his seven-day India tour.

In a white kurta-pyjama, the visiting premier prayed at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple along with his family during an almost hour-long visit to the shrine. While monsieur wore a patka (head covering for men), madame covered her head with a chunni (head covering for women) for the visit.

The prime minister and his family also tried rolling out chapatis at the community kitchen (Langar hall) and greeted devotees with folded hands. Scores of visitors could be seen holding up their mobile phones to take pictures and videos of the Trudeaus.

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Canadian PM Justin Trudeau &amp; his family members at the community kitchen inside the Golden Temple premises in Amritsar on Wednesday. (PTI)
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His visit to Punjab had triggered a controversy over reported links between key members of his cabinet and Sikh separatists, who want to carve out a part of India for their own mythical country. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had refused to meet Canadian Defence Minister Sajjan Singh last year, claiming that the latter was a vociferous supporter of Sikh separatism.

Today, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cm-amarinder-singh-brings-up-punjab-militancy-issue-with-canadian-pm-trudeau-33614">Trudeau met the chief minister</a> along with Sajjan Singh.

&ldquo;I met the Canadian PM for the first time, he is a very wonderful person. I raised issue of Khalistan as it&#39;s the primary issue, as there is money coming in from various countries including Canada to Punjab to create this ruckus. The PM is aware of it and he has told me that he is going to look into this,&rdquo; Amarinder Singh said after the meeting.

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Wish you a wonderful birthday Hadrein Trudeau on the 28th of this month. I&rsquo;ll think of you on that day. It has been a pleasure meeting all the three children of Canadian Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinTrudeau</a>. <a href="https://t.co/wVo0v6Ydts">pic.twitter.com/wVo0v6Ydts</a>
&mdash; Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) <a href="https://twitter.com/capt_amarinder/status/966267484339716096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Adding fuel to the fire was the reported snub to Trudeau by the Indian government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who often greets his counterparts on their arrival, sent a junior minister from the agriculture department to meet Trudeau at the airport. By contrast, Modi himself was on the tarmac to greet and bear-hug Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited last month.

Trudeau&#39;s lukewarm reception, according to media reports, was due to India&#39;s concerns about his perceived soft approach to Sikh extremist groups in his country, and those that sympathise with them.

Opinion: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-why-india-and-canada-need-to-look-beyond-khalistan-33599">Why India and Canada need to look beyond Khalistan</a>

However, Trudeau strongly rejected suggestions that Canada was encouraging Sikh extremism, saying Canada&#39;s position of supporting &quot;one united India&quot; had not changed. &quot;I have met with the prime minister in various places around the world and looking forward to sitting down with him on Friday,&quot; he said, dismissing reports that he had been snubbed by Modi.

Also See: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/when-justin-trudeau-met-aamir-and-shah-rukh-khan-33565">When Justin Trudeau met Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan</a>

Whatever may be the outcome of those bilateral talks, the Trudeau family&rsquo;s huge popularity across the gamut of India&rsquo;s regular and social media will certainly linger in India&rsquo;s institutional memory for a long time to come.

The prime minister and his family also tried rolling out chapatis at the community kitchen (Langar hall) and greeted devotees with folded hands.

Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau struck all the right notes while visiting Punjab on Wednesday, the most-watched leg of his seven-day India tour. In a white kurta-pyjama, the visiting premier prayed at the sanctum sanctorum of the Golden Temple along with his family during an almost hour-long visit to the shrine. While monsieur wore a patka (head covering for men), madame covered her head with a chunni (head covering for women) for the visit. The prime minister and his family also tried rolling out chapatis at the community kitchen (Langar hall) and greeted devotees with folded hands. Scores of visitors could be seen holding up their mobile phones to take pictures and videos of the Trudeaus. Canadian PM Justin Trudeau & his family members at the community kitchen inside the Golden Temple premises in Amritsar on Wednesday. (PTI) × His visit to Punjab had triggered a controversy over reported links between key members of his cabinet and Sikh separatists, who want to carve out a part of India for their own mythical country. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had refused to meet Canadian Defence Minister Sajjan Singh last year, claiming that the latter was a vociferous supporter of Sikh separatism. Today, Trudeau met the chief minister along with Sajjan Singh. “I met the Canadian PM for the first time, he is a very wonderful person. I raised issue of Khalistan as it's the primary issue, as there is money coming in from various countries including Canada to Punjab to create this ruckus. The PM is aware of it and he has told me that he is going to look into this,” Amarinder Singh said after the meeting. Wish you a wonderful birthday Hadrein Trudeau on the 28th of this month. I’ll think of you on that day. It has been a pleasure meeting all the three children of Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau. pic.twitter.com/wVo0v6Ydts — Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) February 21, 2018 × Adding fuel to the fire was the reported snub to Trudeau by the Indian government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who often greets his counterparts on their arrival, sent a junior minister from the agriculture department to meet Trudeau at the airport. By contrast, Modi himself was on the tarmac to greet and bear-hug Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited last month. Trudeau's lukewarm reception, according to media reports, was due to India's concerns about his perceived soft approach to Sikh extremist groups in his country, and those that sympathise with them. Opinion: Why India and Canada need to look beyond Khalistan However, Trudeau strongly rejected suggestions that Canada was encouraging Sikh extremism, saying Canada's position of supporting "one united India" had not changed. "I have met with the prime minister in various places around the world and looking forward to sitting down with him on Friday," he said, dismissing reports that he had been snubbed by Modi. Also See: When Justin Trudeau met Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan Whatever may be the outcome of those bilateral talks, the Trudeau family’s huge popularity across the gamut of India’s regular and social media will certainly linger in India’s institutional memory for a long time to come.

Justin Trudeau charms Punjab in most-watched leg of his India tour

A bandh was observed in Amritsar today on the call given by radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa on the 33rd anniversary of Operation Bluestar.

Commercial establishments and educational institutions remained closed, while the Dal Khalsa thanked people for responding positively to the shutdown.

The outfit&#39;s leader Kanwar Pal Singh in a statement said that the shutdown was peaceful due to the support from people of all religions.

Operation Bluestar was carried out in in 1984 to flush out heavily-armed terrorists holed up in the Golden Temple here.

Singh slammed the Akali Dal (Amritsar) and Amrik Singh Ajnala jatha for propagating against the bandh call.

(PTI)

Operation Bluestar was carried out in in 1984 to flush out heavily-armed terrorists holed up in the Golden Temple here

A bandh was observed in Amritsar today on the call given by radical Sikh outfit Dal Khalsa on the 33rd anniversary of Operation Bluestar. Commercial establishments and educational institutions remained closed, while the Dal Khalsa thanked people for responding positively to the shutdown. The outfit's leader Kanwar Pal Singh in a statement said that the shutdown was peaceful due to the support from people of all religions. Operation Bluestar was carried out in in 1984 to flush out heavily-armed terrorists holed up in the Golden Temple here. Singh slammed the Akali Dal (Amritsar) and Amrik Singh Ajnala jatha for propagating against the bandh call. (PTI)

Shutdown in Amritsar on anniversary of Operation Bluestar

Canada&#39;s Indian-origin Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan today paid obeisance at the Golden Temple here where he was presented with a robe of honour, PTI reports.

He reached the holy Sikh shrine shortly after 6 am&nbsp;and spent around 15 minutes inside its sanctum sanctorum. Wearing a grey turban and a white shirt, Sajjan took a round of the Harmandir Sahib&#39;s complex and spent over an hour in its premises.

Sajjan also explained his intended visit to Punjab to Reuters: &quot;I am not going to get into petty politics of one chief minister of any other province. My reason for going to Punjab is to pay respects to Harmandir Sahib (golden temple) because as you know I am Sikh. I want to pay respects to the village that I was born. We are very very proud of my roots.&quot;

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee&nbsp;president Kripal Singh was also present when the minister reached the shrine.

Sajjan is a Sikh whose native village, Bambeli, falls in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. The Canadian defence minister reached the holy city of Amritsar from New Delhi last evening.

Earlier in his trip, Reuters reported that Canada&#39;s Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan said that&nbsp;India and Canada discussed enhancing defence and security cooperation between the nations.

The minister will be in Chandigarh tomorrow where he will inaugurate the new office of the Consulate-General of Canada.

(Agencies)

Sajjan is a Sikh and a native of Punjab, from the village of Bambeli

Canada's Indian-origin Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan today paid obeisance at the Golden Temple here where he was presented with a robe of honour, PTI reports. He reached the holy Sikh shrine shortly after 6 am and spent around 15 minutes inside its sanctum sanctorum. Wearing a grey turban and a white shirt, Sajjan took a round of the Harmandir Sahib's complex and spent over an hour in its premises. Sajjan also explained his intended visit to Punjab to Reuters: "I am not going to get into petty politics of one chief minister of any other province. My reason for going to Punjab is to pay respects to Harmandir Sahib (golden temple) because as you know I am Sikh. I want to pay respects to the village that I was born. We are very very proud of my roots." The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Kripal Singh was also present when the minister reached the shrine. Sajjan is a Sikh whose native village, Bambeli, falls in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab. The Canadian defence minister reached the holy city of Amritsar from New Delhi last evening. Earlier in his trip, Reuters reported that Canada's Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan said that India and Canada discussed enhancing defence and security cooperation between the nations. The minister will be in Chandigarh tomorrow where he will inaugurate the new office of the Consulate-General of Canada. (Agencies)

Canadian Def Minister Sajjan pays obeisance at Golden Temple

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washed dishes today at Golden Temple in north India&#39;s Punjab state as a mark of &#39;repentance&#39; after his party received flak for depicting the image of the reverred Sikh shrine with the party symbol, a broom, in their election manifesto. 
 
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or the common man party, created controversy when they superimposed a broom&#39;s image on the cover of their youth manifesto for 2017 local elections alongside a picture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Golden Temple. 
 
AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan added fuel to the fire when he compared the party manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh religious scripture. 
 
Party chief Arvind Kejriwal offered voluntary service at the holy shrine to make up for the mistake. 
 
&quot;We made some mistakes while drafting our youth manifesto due to our ignorance. I have come here to apologise for them. We offered sewa (voluntary service offered by devotees in Gurudwaras) which gave us immense pleasure. Then we prayed before God,&quot; he said in Amritsar city. 
 
In its youth manifesto, AAP promised to free the region of corruption and end the widespread drug menace in Punjab. 
 
A three-way political contest is shaping up between the AAP, the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and opposition Congress party. 
 
(Reuters)

His party had created controversy by printing a broom's image with a photo of Golden Temple, the most revered Sikh shrine

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washed dishes today at Golden Temple in north India's Punjab state as a mark of 'repentance' after his party received flak for depicting the image of the reverred Sikh shrine with the party symbol, a broom, in their election manifesto. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or the common man party, created controversy when they superimposed a broom's image on the cover of their youth manifesto for 2017 local elections alongside a picture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Golden Temple. AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan added fuel to the fire when he compared the party manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh religious scripture. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal offered voluntary service at the holy shrine to make up for the mistake. "We made some mistakes while drafting our youth manifesto due to our ignorance. I have come here to apologise for them. We offered sewa (voluntary service offered by devotees in Gurudwaras) which gave us immense pleasure. Then we prayed before God," he said in Amritsar city. In its youth manifesto, AAP promised to free the region of corruption and end the widespread drug menace in Punjab. A three-way political contest is shaping up between the AAP, the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and opposition Congress party. (Reuters)

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washes utensils in Golden Temple

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