Technical Snag On Special Plane Delays Canada PM Trudeau's Departure, Delegation To Stay In India

New Delhi: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's special plane, which he emplaned to return to his country after attending the G20 Summit, suffered a technical fault. The sudden technical fault forced the PM and the entire delegation to wait till the engineering team allowed them to fly. According to Airport sources in Delhi, “A special plane of Canada PM suffered a technical glitch and it’s not in the schedule to fly.” Canadian PM Trudeau and his entire delegation attended the G20 summit in India and were all set to fly back to Canada after two-day visit but a technical glitch forced them to stay in Delhi. Airport official told ANI that, “Canadian authority in the country is exploring alternate fly mode.”

"Upon our departure for the airport, we were made aware by the Canadian Armed Forces that CFC001 was experiencing technical issues,” the Prime Minister’s office also confirmed in a statement, according to CTV News. “These issues are not fixable overnight, our delegation will be staying in India until alternate arrangements are made,” the statement added, according to Canada-based news. 

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday arrived in India to attend the G20 Summit. Trudeau at the conclusion of the two-day G20 Leaders' Summit emphasized that India is an important partner for Canada and we will continue to work towards it.

"We recognize India as an extraordinarily important economy in the world and an important partner for Canada on everything, from fighting climate change to creating growth and prosperity for citizens. There is always a lot of work to do and we will continue to do it," Trudeau said. (Please note: Select travelling media were allowed in the press conference)

Prior to their discussion, the world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau paid a visit to Rajghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi on Sunday morning. PM Modi on Saturday welcomed Trudeau along with his counterparts from Bangladesh, Australia, Canada and Mauritius among others at the Bharat Mandapam venue at Pragati Maidan where India is hosting the long G20 Summit. The two leaders shook hands and warmly greeted each other.

Earlier on Sunday, Trudeau highlighted the issue of Khalistani protests. Trudeau said that he had many conversations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of Khalistan extremism and "foreign interference”, and Ottawa will always defend freedom of expression, and at the same time will always be there to prevent violence. He further emphasized that the “actions of the few” do not represent the entire community or Canada.

When asked if the issues of Khalistan extremism and "foreign interference” did come up during discussions with PM Modi during the G20 Summit, he said, “Both the issues came up. Over the years, with PM Modi, we have had many conversations on both of those issues. Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest and it is extremely important to us. At the same time, we are always there to prevent violence and to push back against hatred”.

The Canadian PM, accompanied by his son Xavier, was received by the Union Minister of State (MoS) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The Canadian PM recently called India a key partner in the promotion of shared values of democracy.

“As the world’s largest democracy, India is – and will continue to be – a key partner for Canada in the promotion of our shared values of democracy, pluralism, and progress. We are committed to building on this rich history of collaboration, including under India’s presidency of the G20 this year," Trudeau said in a statement.

“Looking ahead, as Canada strengthens its presence in the region under its Indo-Pacific Strategy, we will continue to work together to preserve the rules-based international order, promote multilateralism, and grow our economic ties to benefit people in both our countries as well as the region at large," he added.

“The Canada-India relationship is based on strong and longstanding ties between our people. Canada is home to one of the largest Indian diasporas in the world, with nearly 1.4 million people of Indian descent living in our communities from coast to coast to coast. These communities are an integral part of Canada’s national identity, and today we recognize their valuable contributions, past and present, that have made our country stronger, more prosperous, and more inclusive," the Canadian PM said.

Trudeau said Canada is home to one of the longest Indian diasporas in the world, adding that nearly 1.4 million people of Indian descent live in the country