Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire, daughter Ella Grace and son Xavier walk inside the premises of holy Sikh shrine of Golden temple in Amritsar, India February 21, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
OTTAWA/NEW DELHI, February 23 (Reuters) - Canadian and Indian officials scrambled on Thursday to explain how a convicted Sikh extremist was invited to a New Delhi reception for Justin Trudeau, the latest misstep in the Canadian prime minister's bumpy eight-day trip to India.
The tour has been overshadowed by suggestions of a lukewarm reception by the government and a series of photo ops featuring the Trudeau family in coordinated Indian attire that have raised eyebrows in both countries.
The latest flashpoint, a swiftly cancelled invitation by the Canadian delegation to Jaspal Atwal -- convicted in 1986 of the attempted murder of an Indian politician visiting Canada -- came just days after Trudeau had assured his hosts he would not support anyone trying to revive a separatist movement in India.
"The fact that an invitation, which was already extended to Mr. Atwal, has been withdrawn, it basically shows (Canada) have taken into account the concerns which we have," said Raveesh Kumar, a spokesman for India's Ministry of External Affairs.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau his wife Sophie Gregoire (center-L) daughter Ella Grace and son Xavier walk inside the premises of holy Sikh shrine of Golden temple in Amritsar, India February 21, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi[/caption]
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran during a meeting in Mumbai, India, February 20, 2018. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui[/caption]
Atwal's invitation was withdrawn once his links to an organisation banned in India came to light. Trudeau told reporters on Thursday that a Canadian parliamentarian on the trip had taken responsibility for the mistake.
A largely unrecognized figure in India, Atwal was a trending topic on Twitter across the subcontinent on Thursday after images of him in the company of Trudeau's wife and other Canadian ministers surfaced online.
The trip, partly aimed at shoring up support for Trudeau's Liberals among the politically important ethnic vote in key regions, has also been criticized for being light on official government business.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his son Xavier spin cotton on a wheel watched by Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, their daughter Ella Grace and son Hadrien during their visit to Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India, February 19, 2018. REUTERS/Amit Dave[/caption]
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau greet schoolchildren (unseen) as they arrive at Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India, February 19, 2018. REUTERS/Amit Dave[/caption]
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, their daughter Ella Grace and sons Hadrien and Xavier pose in front of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, February 18, 2018. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi[/caption]
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, their daughter Ella Grace and son Xavier pose with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai. (Image: AP)[/caption]
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau along with his family members visit Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple in Gandhinagar. (Image: PTI)[/caption]
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family being welcomed by Taljinder Singh, General Manager of Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. (Image: PTI)[/caption]
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses along with his family at the Golden Temple in Amritsar on February 21, 2018. (Image: PTI)[/caption]
Support from Canada's large and concentrated South Asian community helped Trudeau's Liberals gain power in 2015, and all three of Canada's main parties -- including the New Democratic Party, lead by Jagmeet Singh -- are courting the Indo-Canadian vote ahead of the 2019 election.
"I don't know if Justin Trudeau thinks that international trade missions are reality TV shows, but they are not," Conservative party leader Andrew Scheer, Trudeau's main opponent, told Reuters.
Trudeau on Tuesday cited C$1 billion in deals between Canadian and Indian companies announced in Mumbai, and said the trip was "not just about political ties" but improving business and cultural ties.
The Atwal controversy came as the Trudeau family's ornate traditional Indian attire raised eyebrows, with the prime minister at one point donning formal wear typically worn by bridegrooms.
"FYI we Indians don't dress like this every day sir, not even in Bollywood," tweeted Indian politician Omar Abdullah.
Earlier this week, Trudeau rejected suggestions that he had been snubbed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Modi tweeted a welcome to Trudeau late on Thursday, on the eve of a bilateral meeting between the two, six days after the Canadian leader arrived in the country, adding: "I hope PM @JustinTrudeau and his family had a very enjoyable stay so far."
