Trudeau Faces Backlash for His $1.5Mln Trip to India

The Canadian PM traveled to India in February 2018 to boost ties between the two countries, but according to the estimates of his opponents in parliament, relations between Delhi and Ottawa only worsened, largely due to Trudeau inviting a convicted criminal to a reception.

Ottawa has released papers regarding spending during the PM's trip to India in February this year. According to them, Trudeau spent a little over $1.5 million on a trip, that according to conservatives in the national parliament, did nothing, except worsen bilateral ties, despite the PM's promise it would boost investments in the Canadian economy.

Opinions of ordinary Canadian are divided over the information, with many of them pointing out that Trudeau actually spent less than his predecessor (Stephen Harper) did during his two trips to India in 2009 and 2012.

Conservatives complain Trudeau's entire India trip cost $1.5 million. It cost $1.2 mil just to ship Harper's limo to India, which wasn't even necessary. Not that Reform Tea Partier Conservatives know the difference between people from India and First Nations people, anyway. pic.twitter.com/3EvGr3tV9a

— FranklyMyDear (@MrDash109) June 21, 2018

Hey @DonMartinCTV, remember when Stephen Harper travelled to India and brought 2 limos shipped from Canada at a cost of $1.2M? Maybe take the hyperbole about a chef for Trudeau down a notch. Trudeau's trip to India was far less expensive. #cdnpoli #India
https://t.co/mhoWz8TQYQ

— Neil Before Zod™ (@ThatsMrNeil) June 21, 2018

Alternative headline: Trudeau’s 2018 trip to India cost $1 million less than Harper’s in 2012

— Tracey Hirsch (@traceyinvanc) June 20, 2018

Others harshly slammed the "outrageous" spending, specifically scolding the Canadian PM for paying $17,044 to Vikram Vij, a chef from Vancouver to prepare a meal for a meeting in New Delhi.

Trudeau India trip included $17K for celebrity chef who cooked just one meal, $3.6K for hockey jerseys https://t.co/wq1sCl75VY

— Ray Heard (@RayHeard) June 20, 2018

Outrageous amount to stiff the public for what was a misbegotten family holiday. https://t.co/H5Yb93K7RM

— Matthew Fisher (@mfisheroverseas) June 21, 2018

Justin Trudeau and his family visited India in February 2018 in a bid to boost bilateral ties and foreign investments to Canada. The visit was overshadowed by an unpleasant incident, when Canadian PM invited Jaspal Atwal, a man convicted of plotting an assassination of an Indian politician, to an official reception. Still, Trudeau claims the visit helped to secure $1 billion in bilateral deals between two countries' companies.