Trudeau's visit to India was panned left-right and centre for his choice of outfits and a series of diplomatic fiascoes. Using a slideshow, the Prime Minister recounted the gaffes committed during his visit to India
NEW DELHI: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to India has definitely not been a crowning achievement of his government. A fact evident when the trip featured during the press gallery dinner where Trudeau took dig at himself and his government, including the gaffe-ridden trip to India.
Trudeau, whose visit to India was panned left-right and centre for his choice of outfits and a series of diplomatic fiascoes, put on a brave face at the gala and decided to recall his experience. Using a slideshow, the Prime Minister recounted the gaffes committed during his visit to India.
"We didn't go to India...I don't remember the India trip," Trudeau said as he compared the experience to the pain caused by "the ripping off of a band-aid".
"The beginning of the end," Trudeau termed the visit as he proceeded to show an inverted map of India to signify the topsy-turvy trip.
Trudeau then joked about him being welcomed by the minister of state for agriculture Gajendra Shekhawat and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the norm had been till Trudeau landed in India.
Ottawa's alleged support to Canada-based pro-Khalistani outfits had caused severe resentment in India. The "snub" many believe was a result of Trudeau government's support to these outfits.
Trudeau also took a dig at the journalists for only focusing on his choice of attire and ignoring the important decisions taken by him during the visit.
For example, his meeting with Infosys chairman Sali Parekh.
"Here I am. Meeting with the CEO of Infosys. A company that for the record announced new investments in Canada, during the course of this trip," he said as he presented a photo of him shaking hands with Parekh.
"But you guys (journalists) didn't report on it because I was wearing a shirt and tie. Boring!" he exclaimed.
Next came a photograph where Trudeau is seen dressed in a golden ‘sherwani’ standing along with actor Shahrukh Khan dressed in a black suit.
"One of us is seriously under-dressed. How embarrassing for him," he joked about his extravagant choice of attire during his trip.
Then came the iconic moment from the trip. An image of Trudeau's youngest son Hadrien Trudeau, "planking" as the rest of the Trudeau family was busy signing the guest book at the Gandhi Memorial in Delhi.
"This was the point when he totally gave up on the trip," Trudeau tried to comprehend his youngest son's tribulation.
The Prime Minister also didn't shy away from talking about the controversy triggered when his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, was pictured with a convicted Khalistani terrorist, Jaspal Atwal, at a dinner event in Mumbai. The photograph had made headlines on the pages of several newspapers in India.
The photograph was a part of Trudeau’s presentation too. Only this time, Atwal was cropped out.
"Media couldn't stop talking about it. Doesn’t she look gorgeous," the PM exclaimed as he pointed to his wife's photograph with Atwal's image cropped out.
"That was India, ladies and gentlemen," concluded Mr Trudeau. "The trip to end all trips."