Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has left India after a technical problem in his aircraft was fixed.
Indian minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said he was at the airport to thank Mr Trudeau “for his presence at the G20 summit” and “wished him and his entourage a safe trip back home”.
Mr Trudeau was set to fly on Sunday, following a tense meeting with Indian PM Narendra Modi at the G20 summit.
But he had to stay back for two more days after his plane developed a snag. Earlier in the day, press secretary of the Canadian prime minister Mohammad Hussain told Indian news agency ANI that “the technical issue with the plane has been resolved. The plane has been cleared to fly”.
In a statement sent to the BBC, Canada's Department of National Defence on Monday confirmed that the prime minister's aircraft – a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CC-150 Polaris with the tail number '01' – suffered a “maintenance problem” stemming from a “component that will have to be replaced”.
“The safety of all passengers is critical to the RCAF and pre-flight safety checks are a regular part of all our flight protocols,” the statement added. “The discovery of this issue is evidence that these protocols are effective.”
The defence department said a replacement aircraft was being sent to India to retrieve Mr Trudeau. Reports in India on Tuesday said it was diverted to the UK – they did not clarify whether it was because the plane in Delhi had already been fixed.
The incident is not the first time that Mr Trudeau has had plane-related travel issues. In 2019, a plane carrying journalists collided with the wing of an aircraft chartered to transport him on the campaign trail. He was not onboard the aircraft at the time.
The relationship between Canada and India has grown increasingly strained in recent months, with Canada recently suspending negotiations on a trade treaty with India. Political protests by Canada's large Sikh population have been a major flashpoint.
A prominent advocate for a separate Sikh nation, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot dead by two masked gunmen in British Columbia in June. Sikh separatists took to the streets of Toronto to protest against the Indian government, accusing Delhi of being responsible for his death. India has denied the allegations and the killing is still under investigation.
In the meeting with Mr Trudeau, Mr Modi aired concerns about the “continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada” and said they were promoting secessionism and inciting violence, according to his office.
Meanwhile, Mr Trudeau's team said the Canadian prime minister had “raised the importance of respecting the rule of law, democratic principles, and national sovereignty”.
Mr Trudeau later told a press conference he had also discussed foreign interference in Canada's affairs with Mr Modi. Canada is including India in its sweeping investigation into election interference, which is also looking into China and Russia.
— CutC by bbc.com
