NEW DELHI – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first official visitto India has not been the headline-grabbing love fest he must be accustomedto on his overseas trips.

Despite plenty of photo opportunities, including at the Taj Mahal, MrTrudeau and his family’s tour has been largely ignored by senior members ofthe Indian government so far.

When he arrived in the capital, Delhi, he was met at the airport by ajunior minister in what many interpreted to be a “snub”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has, on many occasions, personally receivedvisiting government leaders. He also famously hugs his foreign counterparts.

Most recently Mr Modi extended the courtesylink> – both the personalreception and the hug – to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu whovisited in January.

But Mr Modi has not yet met the Canadian prime minister, despite him beingin India for two days.

He was also absent when Mr Trudeau visited his home state of Gujarat onMonday.

And it’s not just the prime minister.Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES[image: Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu (left) met his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Delhi]Image captio

When Mr Trudeau visited the Taj Mahal on Sunday, some media reports pointedto the fact that the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, where the monument islocated, did not go to greet the visiting premier.

The pictures, headlines and social media frenzy that usually accompany MrTrudeau’s overseas travels have also been largely missing.

So is India really cold shouldering Justin Trudeau? And if so, when.

“Yes, this is a major snub. The fact that a junior minister was sent toreceive Mr Trudeau and his family is most definitely a snub,” columnist andeconomist Vivek Dehejia told the BBC.

Mr Dehejia said the reason for Mr Trudeau’s lukewarm reception could wellbe that several members of his government were closely allied with a Sikhindependence movement – the Khalistan movement – which seeks to create aseparate independent Sikh homeland in the Sikh-dominated northern state ofPunjab.

Canadian authorities have also linked Sikh separatist militants to Canada’s1985 Air India bombing link> , which killed329 people.

“His Liberal party relies heavily on the Sikh-Canadian vote bank and someof the Sikh members of his government are fellow travellers with theKhalistanis,” said Mr Dehejia.

Mr Trudeau counts four Sikh-Canadians in his cabinet.

If this were the case, it would not be the first time that Khalistan hassoured relations between officials from the two countries.Image copyrightREUTERS[image: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau andhis sons Hadrien (C) and Xavier (R) walk towards their car upon theirarrival at Air Force Station Palam in New Delhi, India, February 17, 2018.]Image captionFormer diplomats say that “too much” is being read into MrTrudeau’s reception in India

Punjab’s top elected official refused to meet Canadian defence ministerHarjit Sajjan link> in Aprillast year, alleging that he was “a Khalistani sympathiser”.

But India’s former high commissioner to Canada, Vishnu Prakash, denied thatMr Trudeau was being “snubbed”, saying that India had closely followeddiplomatic protocol when receiving him.

“According to protocol, it is a cabinet minister who receives a visitingforeign leader, and this courtesy was extended to Mr Trudeau,” Mr Prakashtold the BBC.

He said that although Mr Modi had “breached protocol” to personally greetforeign leaders in the past, he could not be expected to greet everyvisitor that came to India.

“It’s not like the prime minister is not going to meet him at all. There isa ceremonial welcome that will be held for him on 23 February and he willmeet him there,” he added.[image: Presentational grey line][image: Presentational grey line]

Former diplomat Kanwal Sibal told the BBC that it would be both politicallyand professionally “wrong” for India to begin a state visit by Mr Trudeauwith the “prejudice” of Khalistan when it could be used instead as aplatform to raise India’s concerns with Khalistan at the highest level.Image copyrightAFP/GETTY IMAGES[image: Canada’s Defence Minister HarjitSingh Sajjan (C) talk with children during his visit to the All IndiaPingalwara Charitable Society (AIPCS) at Manawala village on the outskirtsof Amritsar on April 20, 2017.]Image captionCanadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was not met by thePunjab chief minister

“It is true that domestic political reasons have meant that India has notgot the kind of support on the issue, but we can use the visit to get acommitment of action from the Canadian government,” he said. – BBC