Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faced criticism on Monday after referring to Diljit Dosanjh as a ‘Punjabi singer’. While the moniker was not inaccurate, BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa noted that the senior politician had bypassed all mentions of India while speaking about the artiste.
“The concert of Diljit Dosanjh was good...The picture posted by Canadian PM Justin Trudeau with Diljit made us all feel very proud...Later when he (Canadian PM Justin Trudeau) expressed his feelings for Diljit Dosanjh, he did not even think that it was right to take the name of India. A Prime Minister should not have done this as the post of Prime Minister has a very big dignity. He should have maintained that dignity and tweeted accordingly,” asserted BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa.
Trudeau had visited Dosanjh ahead of his sold out Toronto concert on Saturday. The singer shared visuals from the interaction that show them greeting each other with folded hands, followed by a tight hug.
"Stopped by the Rogers Centre to wish Diljit Dosanjh good luck before his show. Canada is a great country — one where a guy from Punjab can make history and sell out stadiums. Diversity isn't just our strength. It's a super power," the Canadian PM added.
Prior to this, Sirsa had also replied on Trudeau's post and called his not naming of India as a "deliberate mischief through wordplay."
"Let me correct this, Mr. Prime Minister — where one guy from INDIA can make history and sell out stadiums. Your gesture of lauding a fantastic artist like Diljit Dosanjh has been totally overshadowed by your deliberate mischief through wordplay," Sirsa said on X.
Dosanjh has incidentally made history by becoming the first Punjabi artist to headline concerts in both the Canadian stadiums — Vancouver's BC Place and Toronto's Rogers Centre, which have the seating capacity of over 54,000 and 49,000, respectively.
(With inputs from agencies)
