New Delhi: Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gave a self-deprecating account of his India trip at the annual Parliamentary Press Gallery Dinner saying it was a chance to “mock everyone else’s mistake while downplaying one’s own”. True to that spirit he presented a stinging take-down of his own trip to India, complete with a slideshow showing off his sundry glittering sherwanis at public appearances across the country. Panned by the critics, he went on to declare, of course mockingly, that he was never going on another trip ever again.
Trudeau family’s weeklong trip across India in February dominated headlines in national and international media for their highly choreographed group photos - often in bright, colourful Indian outfits - outside various monuments, their hands pressed together in namastes.
Dressed in black sherwani, Trudeau, while entering the Canada House in New Delhi, enthralled the crowd with his Bhangra moves.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh poked fun at the prime minister for his attempt at bhangra dance while on the trip, then proceeded to lead an instruction of the proper way to perform the dance.
In a light-hearted manner, Mr Trudeau spoke about being received at the Delhi airport by Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Shekhawat. "Apparently you people don't get this... this is a very big deal," he said to a round of applause.
In Mumbai, Trudeau was photographed standing next to Shah Rukh Khan, dressed in a golden sherwani while the actor wore a black shirt and jacket. "Wow! One of us is seriously underdressed," Mr Trudeau remarked, looking at the photo. "How embarrassing for him!"
His constant costume changes came under heavy fire from the Washington Post.
“His orchestrated dance moves and multiple costume changes in heavily embroidered kurtas and sherwanis make him look more like an actor on a movie set or a guest at a wedding than a politician who is here to talk business. Suddenly, all that charisma and cuteness seem constructed, manufactured and, above all, not serious,” said Washington Post on Trudeau’s India visit.
In an effort to balance out the criticism, Trudeau shared a photo with Infosys Chairman Salil Parekh, "a company that, for the record, announced new investments in Canada during the course of this trip”. Mr Trudeau berated journalists: "But you guys didn't report on it because I was wearing a suit and tie. Boring!"
He also displayed his youngest son Hadrien’s disdain for protocol in India.
Hadrien hilariously face-planted on floor as the other Trudeaus gathered around to sign the guestbook at Mahatma Gandhi's memorial Rajghat in New Delhi. "At that point, he just totally gave up on the trip," laughed Mr Trudeau.
"That was India, ladies and gentlemen," concluded Mr Trudeau. "The trip to end all trips."
"Seriously, I told my team I'm not going anywhere ever again," he joked.
Comments
0 comment